Nanoclean Technologies, Inc.

Honeywell International Inc.

Alliedsignal Inc.

Ei Electronics LLC

Other

Applied Materials, Inc.

Mid-america Commercialization Corporation

Manoclean Technologies, Inc.

Adel George Tannous

Khalid Makhamreh

Paul E Lewis

Karl A Davlin

Alan R Loudermilk

Goodarz Ahmadi

Peter D Unger

Neil H Hendricks

Jeff D Miller

Keith H Compton

Randy R LeClaire

Mohamed Boumerzoug

Ron Rohrbach

Dan Bause

William McGeever

Zhiyuan Ye

Shu-Kwan Danny Lau

Patrick C Genis

Alan R Loudermiliy

Dan E Bause

Ron Paul Rohrbach

William E McGeever

Jeffrey Miller

An apparatus for heating a substrate within a thermal processing chamber is disclosed. The apparatus includes a chamber body, a gas inlet, a gas outlet, an upper window, a lower window, a substrate support, and an upper heating device. The upper heating device is a laser heating device and includes one or more laser assemblies. The laser assemblies include light sources, a cooling plate, optical fibers, and irradiation windows.

EPI chamber with full wafer laser heating

Apparatus and methods for controlling a system that operates responsive to a plurality of input control signals are disclosed. During operation the system generates a plurality of output status/control signals. A master controller has at least first and second controllers. The first controller outputs and inputs signals over a first communication path, and the second controller outputs and inputs signals over a second communication path. The first and second controllers output signals based on input signals received over the first and second communication paths, respectively, and also based on stored control data. A plurality of input/output modules are provided. Each of the input/output modules has first and second slave controllers. The first slave controller of each of the input/output modules inputs and outputs signals over the first communication path to the first controller, and the second slave controller outputs and inputs signals over the second communication path. Each of the first slave controllers outputs and inputs signals to and from a first input/output circuit, and each of the second slave controllers outputs and inputs signals to and from a second input/output circuit. Each of the input/output modules also includes a combiner circuit. At least some of the input control signals for controlling the system are generated by the combiner circuit of each input/output module based on signals output from both the first and second input/output circuits. The output control signals for controlling the system are generated based on output status/control signals from the system that are coupled to each of the first and second input/output circuits of the input/output modules.

Distributed input/output control systems and methods

An ultra-efficient multilobal cross-sectioned fiber filter for chemical contaminant filtering applications is described. An absorptive chemically reactive reagent, preferably an acid or base and in liquid or an adsorptive chemically reactive reagent (an acid or base) in solid form, is disposed within longitudinal slots in each length of fiber. The reagent may be used alone or in conjunction with solid adsorptive particles which may also be utilized with the reagents in the longitudinal slots within the fibers. Reagents within the fibers remain exposed to a base-contaminated airstream passing through the filter. Base contaminants in the airstream, chemicals such as ammonium and amines (as well as particles), react with the acid reagent within the longitudinal slots of the fibers. As the contaminant and reagent react, the ammonium or amine becomes irreversibly absorbed (or adsorbed if reagent is a solid acid) to the liquid acid reagent and multilobal fiber.

Complex shaped fiber for particle and molecular filtration

A method for manufacturing an article having polymeric residue that is to be removed during the manufacture of the article is disclosed. The article is introduced into a controlled environment of a processing tool having one or more processing chambers. Free radicals are generated from one or more reactant gases and introduced into at least one of the one or more processing chambers where they react with the polymeric residue. A cryogenic cleaning medium is supplied into at least one of the one or more processing chambers where the cryogenic cleaning medium removes the polymeric residue present after the free radicals react with the polymeric residue. The reactant gases are selected to facilitate removal of the polymeric residue with the cryogenic cleaning medium. The cryogenic cleaning medium is supplied with a pulsating flow via a nozzle implement that sweeps across the article. The pulsating flow may be generated via a piezo device or a rotating shaft with a hole the periodically enables or interrupts flow through a flow channel.

Methods for resist stripping and other processes for cleaning surfaces substantially free of contaminants

A method of plasma assisted COcleaning for dry removal of residual photoresist and sidewall polymer with an etch gas mixture comprising fluorine containing gas, oxygen and hydrogen in Nor HO. The process removes polymer residues present on a metal layer on a substrate and on the sidewalls of metal lines and inhibits chlorine-based corrosion while being very selective to exposed Ti, TiN, Al and SiO. The invention is particularly suited for removing post metal etch polymer residue from top and sidewall of metal lines.

Methods for residue removal and corrosion prevention in a post-metal etch process

A method for manufacturing an article where the article has polymeric residue that is to be removed during the manufacture of the article. The article is introduced into a controlled environment of a processing tool that has at least first and second processing chambers. Free radicals are generated from one or more reactant gases and introduced into at least the first processing chamber where they react with the polymeric residue. A cryogenic cleaning medium is supplied into the second processing chamber where it removes the polymeric residue present after the free radicals react with the polymeric residue. The reactant gases are selected to facilitate removal of the polymeric residue with the cryogenic cleaning medium The first and second processing chambers may be dedicated to plasma processing or cryogenic processing or each may provide both plasma processing and cryogenic processing.

A method for manufacturing an article having polymeric residue that is to be removed during the manufacture of the article is disclosed. The article is introduced into a controlled environment of a processing tool having one or more processing chambers. Free radicals are generated from one or more reactant gases and introduced into at least one of the one or more processing chambers where they react with the polymeric residue. A cryogenic cleaning medium is supplied into at least one of the one or more processing chambers where it removes the polymeric residue present after the free radicals react with the polymeric residue. The reactant gases are selected to facilitate removal of the polymeric residue with the cryogenic cleaning medium. The cryogenic cleaning medium is supplied via a nozzle implement that sweeps across the article. A slide mechanism and drive motor may be supplied internal or external to the controlled environment.

A plasma assisted cryogenic cleaner for and a method of performing cleaning of a surface that must be substantially free of contaminants has a resiliently mounted nozzle for spraying a cryogenic cleaning medium on the surface. The cleaning is conducted by applying to the substrate surface a mixture of gases selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, fluorine, hydrofluorocarbon or a mixture of such gases to both remove the photoresist layer and alter the composition of the residues such that the residues are soluble in water and/or have a weakened bonds that they can be removed with a stream of cryogenic medium. The cryogenic and plasma processes can be performed sequentially or simultaneously. In certain embodiments, the cryogenic cleaning medium nozzle is driven in an oscillatory or vibratory manner so the nozzle spray is delivered in a manner to provide pulsing of the spray and to provide as 'snow plow' effect on contaminants as the spray delivers the cleaning medium against the surface. The surface may be transported past the nozzle, and the cleaning may occur in an enclosed controlled environment.

Methods for resist stripping and cleaning surfaces substantially free of contaminants

Input/output control systems and methods having a plurality of master and slave controllers

A cryogenic cleaner for and a method of performing cleaning of a surface that must be substantially free of contaminants utilizing a multi-stage, multi-mode filtered carbon dioxide-containing cleaning medium. Multiple stages and multiple types of filtration/purification are provided to remove contaminants such as hydrocarbons from the medium. In accordance with preferred embodiments, a filtering/purification process is provided that desirably utilizes one or more of: condensation of the hydrocarbon; particulate filtration; chemical filtration using activated filters; and catalytic oxidation. In certain embodiments, a resiliently mounted nozzle is provided for spraying a cryogenic cleaning medium on the surface. The nozzle may be driven in an oscillatory manner at a predetermined amplitude and frequency so the nozzle spray is delivered in a manner to provide pulsing of the spray and to provide as 'snow plow' effect on contaminants as the spray delivers the cleaning medium against the surface. The surface is transported past the nozzle, and the cleaning occurs in an enclosed controlled environment.

Methods for cleaning utilizing multi-stage filtered carbon dioxide

A plasma assisted cryogenic cleaner for and a method of performing cleaning of a surface that must be substantially free of contaminants has a resiliently mounted nozzle for spraying a cryogenic cleaning medium on the surface. The cleaning is conducted by applying to the substrate surface a mixture of gases selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, fluorine, hydrofluorocarbon or a mixture of such gases to both remove the photoresist layer and alter the composition of the residues such that the residues are soluble in water and/or have a weakened bonds that they can be removed with a stream of cryogenic medium. The cryogenic and plasma processes can be performed sequentially or simultaneously. In certain embodiments, the cryogenic cleaning medium nozzle is driven in an oscillatory or vibratory manner so the nozzle spray is delivered in a manner to provide pulsing of the spray and to provide as &ldquo;snow plow&rdquo; effect on contaminants as the spray delivers the cleaning medium against the surface. The surface may be transported past the nozzle, and the cleaning may occur in an enclosed controlled environment.

A cryogenic cleaner for and a method of performing cleaning of a surface that must be substantially free of contaminants utilizing a multi-stage, multi-mode filtered carbon dioxide-containing cleaning medium. Multiple stages and multiple types of filtration/purification are provided to remove contaminants such as hydrocarbons from the medium. In accordance with preferred embodiments, a filtering/purification process is provided that desirably utilizes one or more of: condensation of the hydrocarbon; particulate filtration; chemical filtration using activated filters; and catalytic oxidation. In certain embodiments, a resiliently mounted nozzle is provided for spraying a cryogenic cleaning medium on the surface. The nozzle may be driven in an oscillatory manner at a predetermined amplitude and frequency so the nozzle spray is delivered in a manner to provide pulsing of the spray and to provide as &ldquo;snow plow&rdquo; effect on contaminants as the spray delivers the cleaning medium against the surface. The surface is transported past the nozzle, and the cleaning occurs in an enclosed controlled environment.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Adel George Tannous