Wei Liu, 57Oakland, CA

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 ).

6458671, Oct 1, 2002

Feb 16, 2001

09/784997

Wei Liu - Sunnyvale CA
David Mui - San Jose CA

Applied Materials Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 2120

438391, 438248, 438424, 438734

A method of forming a shallow trench within a trench capacitor structure. This method can be used, for example, in the construction of a DRAM device. The method comprises: (1) providing a trench capacitor structure comprising (a) a silicon substrate having an upper and a lower surface; (b) first and second trenches extending from the upper surface into the silicon substrate; (c) first and second oxide regions lining at least portions of the first and second trenches; and (d) first and second polysilicon regions at least partially filling the oxide lined first and second trenches; and (2) forming a shallow trench from an upper surface of the structure, the shallow trench having a substantially flat trench bottom that forms an interface with portions of the silicon substrate, the first oxide region, the second oxide region, the first polysilicon region and the second polysilicon region, the shallow trench being formed by a process comprising (a) a first plasma etching step having an oxide:silicon:polysilicon selectivity of 1:1:1 and (b) a second plasma etching step having an oxide:silicon:polysilicon selectivity of 1:1:1, more preferably 1. 3:1:1.

6491835, Dec 10, 2002

Dec 20, 1999

09/467560

Ajay Kumar - Sunnyvale CA
Anisul Khan - Sunnyvale CA
Wei Liu - Sunnyvale CA
John Chao - San Jose CA
Jeff Chinn - Foster City CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 2100

216 51, 216 41, 216 79, 438717, 438719, 438736, 438738

The present disclosure provides a method for etching trenches, contact vias, or similar features to a depth of 100 m and greater while permitting control of the etch profile (the shape of the sidewalls surrounding the etched opening). The method requires the use of a metal-comprising masking material in combination with a fluorine-comprising plasma etchant. The byproduct produced by a combination of the metal with reactive fluorine species must be essentially non-volatile under etch process conditions, and sufficiently non-corrosive to features on the substrate being etched, that the substrate remains unharmed by the etch process. Although aluminum is a preferred metal for the metal-comprising mask, other metals can be used for the masking material, so long as they produce an essentially non-volatile, non-corrosive etch byproduct under etch process conditions. By way of example, and not by way of limitation, metallic materials recommended for the mask include aluminum, cadmium, copper, chromium, gallium, indium, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, and combinations thereof. In particular, aluminum in combination with copper or magnesium is particularly useful, where the copper or magnesium content is less than about 8% by weight, and other constituents total less than about 2% by weight.

6546339, Apr 8, 2003

Jun 8, 2001

09/877133

Dimitri Bevc - Pleasanton CA
Wei Liu - San Jose CA
Alexander M. Popovici - Portola Valley CA

3D Geo Development, Inc. - Mountain View CA

G01V 128

702 18

Migration velocity analysis is performed using Angle-Domain Common Image Gathers (ACIGs). When the correct velocity model is employed for migration, all ACIG events corresponding to a subsurface location are aligned along a horizontal line. Residual moveout can be performed on each ACIG with a suite of trial residual velocity values, according to an angle-domain residual moveout equation. A best-fit residual velocity value that leads to horizontally-aligned events upon moveout can be selected by generating a distribution of semblance (amplitude summed over a given depth) over residual velocity. Best-fit residual velocity values corresponding to selected subsurface points can be employed to update the initial velocity model using a vertical update, normal ray update, or tomographic update method.

6589879, Jul 8, 2003

Jan 18, 2001

09/766187

Scott M. Williams - Sunnyvale CA
Wei Liu - Sunnyvale CA
David Mui - San Jose CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21302

438714, 438719, 438723, 438724

A nitride etch process particularly useful when integrated with a silicon trench etch needing a sloping silicon surface adjacent to the interface between the silicon and an oxide layer intermediate the silicon and nitride. The nitride etch process is a plasma process having an etching gas mixture of sulfur hexafluoride (SF ) and trifluoromethane (CHF ) although nitrogen or oxygen may be added for additional controls. The trifluoromethane is believed to create a polymer passivation on the sidewalls of the hole being etched which, when the etch reaches the oxide-silicon interface, protects the interface and underlying silicon. The nitride etch may proceed through the oxide or a separate fluorocarbon-based oxide etching step may be performed before a bromine-based etch of the silicon starts.

6687618, Feb 3, 2004

Aug 7, 2001

09/924123

Dimitri Bevc - Pleasanton CA
Alexander M. Popovici - Portola Valley CA
Wei Liu - San Jose CA

3D Geo Development, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G01V 128

702 14, 702 18

A seismic velocity analysis method includes tying velocity parameter values such as residual velocity values to geological horizons (reflectors) within a seismic exploration volume. Common image gathers (CIGs) such a common reflection point (CRP) gathers or angle-domain common image gathers (ACIGs) are generated for a set of CIG grid points. Computed best-fit residual velocity values are then snapped to a neighboring horizon or vertically interpolated to the horizon, to generate residual velocity values along the horizon. The residual velocity values for points along the horizon are then selectively employed in updating the velocity model for the volume of interest.

6703315, Mar 9, 2004

Jun 10, 2002

10/165894

Wei Liu - Sunnyvale CA
David Mui - San Jose CA

Applied Materials Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21302

438706, 438712, 438720, 438723

A method of forming a shallow trench within a trench capacitor structure. This method can be used, for example, in the construction of a DRAM device. The method comprises: (1) providing a trench capacitor structure comprising (a) a silicon substrate having an upper and a lower surface; (b) first and second trenches extending from the upper surface into the silicon substrate; (c) first and second oxide regions lining at least portions of the first and second trenches; and (d) first and second polysilicon regions at least partially filling the oxide lined first and second trenches; and (2) forming a shallow trench from an upper surface of the structure, the shallow trench having a substantially flat trench bottom that forms an interface with portions of the silicon substrate, the first oxide region, the second oxide region, the first polysilicon region and the second polysilicon region, the shallow trench being formed by a process comprising (a) a first plasma etching step having an oxide:silicon:polysilicon selectivity of 1:1:1 and (b) a second plasma etching step having an oxide:silicon:polysilicon selectivity of 1:1:1, more preferably 1. 3:1:1.

6849151, Feb 1, 2005

Aug 7, 2002

10/215065

Michael S. Barnes - San Ramon CA, US
John P. Holland - San Jose CA, US
David S. L. Mui - Fremont CA, US
Wei Liu - San Jose CA, US

H05H 100
C23C 1600
H01L 2100

15634524, 118712, 438 7

A substrate is placed in a process zone and an energized process gas is maintained in the process zone to process the substrate. A light beam is reflectively diffracted from a pattern of features of the substrate being processed, the reflected beam is monitored, and a signal is generated in relation to the monitored beam. During processing, a width of the features of the substrate can change. The generated signal is evaluated to detect the occurrence of a change in the width of the features.