Lam Research Corporation

Allan Kent Ronne

Rajinder Dhindsa

John Edward Daugherty

Keith Laurence Comendant

Anthony De La Llera

Yen-Kun Victor Wang

Saurabh J Ullal

Leonard John Sharpless

Jason Augustino

Jaehyun Kim

William M Denty, Jr

Anthony J Norell

Daniel Arthur Brown

Hong Shih

Michael C Kellogg

Fangli J Hao

James E Tappan

Arthur H Sato

Armen Avoyan

Christopher William Burkhart

Tuochuan Huang

Fred Egley

Michael S Kang

Cliff La Croix

Catherine Zhou

Danny Brown

Adam Christopher Mace

Matt Busche

Josh Cormier

A plasma processing device may include a plasma processing chamber, a plasma electrode assembly, a wafer stage, a plasma producing gas inlet, a plurality of vacuum ports, at least one vacuum pump, and a multi-port valve assembly. The multi-port valve assembly may comprise a movable seal plate positioned in the plasma processing chamber. The movable seal plate may comprise a transverse port sealing surface that is shaped and sized to completely overlap the plurality of vacuum ports in a closed state, to partially overlap the plurality of vacuum ports in a partially open state, and to avoid substantial overlap of the plurality of vacuum ports in an open state. The multi-port valve assembly may comprise a transverse actuator coupled to the movable seal plate and a sealing actuator coupled to the movable seal plate.

Plasma processing devices having multi-port valve assemblies

A substrate processing tool includes a plurality of process modules configured to process a semiconductor substrate. Each of the plurality of process modules is arranged at a different location within the substrate processing tool. A vacuum transfer module (VTM) includes a robot and is configured to move between a plurality of different positions corresponding to the different locations within the substrate processing tool to allow the robot to access respective ones of the plurality of process modules.

Moving substrate transfer chamber

A showerhead electrode assembly for a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The showerhead electrode assembly includes a first member attached to a second member. The first and second members have first and second gas passages in fluid communication. When a process gas is flowed through the gas passages, a total pressure drop is generated across the first and second gas passages. A fraction of the total pressure drop across the second gas passages is greater than a fraction of the total pressure drop across the first gas passages.

Showerhead electrode assembly with gas flow modification for extended electrode life

A temperature controlled dielectric window of an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber includes a dielectric window forming a top wall of the plasma processing chamber having at least first and second channels therein. A liquid circulating system includes a source of cold liquid circulating in a first closed loop which is not in fluid communication with the channels, a source of hot liquid circulating in a second closed loop which is in fluid communication with the channels, and first and second heat exchangers. The cold liquid passes through the first heat exchanger at a controllable flow rate and temperature of the hot liquid is adjusted by heat exchange with the cold liquid as the hot liquid passes through the first heat exchanger and then through the inlet of the first channel. The cold liquid passes through the second heat exchanger at a controllable flow rate and temperature of the hot liquid is adjusted by heat exchange with the cold liquid as the hot liquid passes through the second heat exchanger and then through the inlet of the second channel.

Temperature controlled window of a plasma processing chamber component

An injector cleaning apparatus with a concentric dual flow introducer and a flow-dispersing injector seat along with a method of cleaning an injector. The concentric dual flow introducer has concentric cleaning fluid flowpaths configured to communicate with a central passage and a plurality of peripheral passages of a gas injector. The input-side injector engaging interface of the concentric dual flow introducer and the flow-dispersing injector seat each have a compressible sealing portion having compressibility sufficient to yield under fluid cleaning surges attributable to initiation and termination of cleaning fluid flow through the injector cleaning apparatus along with resiliency sufficient to prevent abutment of the gas injector and a rigid facing portion of the input-side injector engaging interface and output-side injector engaging interface respectively.

System and method for cleaning gas injectors

An automated hydrogen bubble detection apparatus includes a horizontal support surface on which a test coupon can be supported, a transparent tube having an open top and an open bottom and operable to contain a test solution when positioned on a test coupon, a camera arranged to view a test solution in the transparent tube, and a controller in communication with the camera and effective to operate the camera such that at least one video segment is recorded by the camera and analyzed to detect first bubble and continuous bubble generation. A method of evaluating corrosion resistance of coatings on aluminum and steel in acidic solution is also included.

Automated bubble detection apparatus and method

Components of a plasma processing apparatus includes a backing member with gas passages attached to an upper electrode with gas passages. To compensate for the differences in coefficient of thermal expansion between the metallic backing member and upper electrode, the gas passages are positioned and sized such that they are misaligned at ambient temperature and substantially concentric at an elevated processing temperature. Non-uniform shear stresses can be generated in the elastomeric bonding material, due to the thermal expansion. Shear stresses can either be accommodated by applying an elastomeric bonding material of varying thickness or using a backing member comprising of multiple pieces.

Upper electrode backing member with particle reducing features

A linear actuator comprised of an actuator body having a first portion and a second portion, each arranged along a longitudinal axis of the actuator body. A vacuum bellows is concentrically located in the first portion and is configured to seal a vacuum environment from the second portion. A linear motion shaft is concentrically located substantially within the actuator body and is configured to move in a linear direction along the longitudinal axis. An electrically conductive portion of the shaft is concentrically located substantially within the vacuum bellows and electrically insulated therefrom and is configured to receive and conduct a signal. A lift force generating portion of the shaft is concentrically located substantially within the second portion. An electrical contact pad is electrically coupled to the conductive portion of the shaft and is configured to couple the signal to another surface upon activation of the shaft.

Vacuum sealing radio frequency (RF) and low frequency conducting actuator

A port provides access to a process chamber interior for exemplary gas injection and process analysis and measurement. Centering the port in an external RF coil reduces the strength of an electric field across the port in generating plasma in the chamber. Plasma-induced etching and deposition in a bore of a gas injection injector mounted in the port is reduced by a grounded shield surrounding a region defined by the port, extending the life of the injector and of a chamber window in which the port is provided. The shield surrounds the region, and is configured with a longitudinally-extending slot defining a retainer arm and a flexure junction, and with a retainer foot on the arm. The junction urges the arm to extend the foot into a retainer groove of the port, and flexes to permit foot movement out of the groove in removal of the shield from the port.

Apparatus for shielding process chamber port

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Allan Kent Ronne