Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Allen Flanigan

Steven Victor Sansoni

Vincent E Burkhart

Michael N Sugarman

Vince Burkhart

A thermal exchanger assembly for a wafer chuck and method of use therefor is disclosed. More particularly, complimentary manifolds, each having a plurality of fins, are positioned with respect to one another to provide interleaved spaced-apart fins. At least one thermo-electric device is disposed between alternating pairs of fins. The thermo-electric device is coupled to the fins to provide a thermally conductive path from one manifold to the other through the thermo-electric device. The thermal exchanger assembly may be located in a process chamber for processing a wafer, including but not limited to a semiconductor wafer.

Thermal exchanger for a wafer chuck

A method and apparatus for fabricating a wafer spacing mask on a workpiece support chuck. Such apparatus is a central body containing a plurality of apertures that is positioned atop the workpiece support chuck and an outer ring shaped body positioned on a flange of the workpiece support chuck while material is deposited onto the apparatus and through the apertures onto chuck. Upon completion of the deposition process, the central body and ring shaped body are removed from the workpiece support chuck leaving deposits of the material to form the wafer spacing mask.

Method and apparatus for fabricating a wafer spacing mask on a substrate support chuck

Apparatus for biasing and retaining a wafer in a semiconductor wafer processing system. The apparatus has a pedestal, a puck and an electrode disposed between the pedestal and the puck. The pedestal defines an enclosure within which the electrode and other pedestal components are housed. The electrode may serve as a cooling plate for the puck. Each of the components is insulated so as to define an electrical path. The electrical path consists of a conductor connected to a coolant tube inside the enclosure and the cooling plate which is in contact with the coolant tube. The cooling plate is electrically isolated from the pedestal via an isolator ring that circumscribes an upper inner wall of the enclosure. The coolant tube is disposed in a channel on the bottomside of the cooling plate and affixed to the plate so as to establish physical contact. The coolant tube and plate conduct RF power from a power source connected to the tube. The power then capacitively couples through the electrostatic chuck to bias a wafer retained thereon. The cooling plate also provides for temperature control of the wafer via a plurality of grooves on the top surface of the plate.

Apparatus for improved biasing and retaining of a workpiece in a

Electrostatic chuck with improved spacing mask and workpiece detection

The present invention generally provides a safety connector apparatus for making an electrical/power connection in an electrical/power system comprising an interlock cover disposed on a connecting end of a power cable, a housing disposed over a power connector, the housing having a cover receiving cavity and a switch adaptable to enable power transfer when the cover is safely and securely locked by the cover lock.

Interlock safety device

A readily removable deposition shield assembly for processing chambers such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), ion implantation, or physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sputtering chambers, is disclosed. The shield assembly includes a shield member which is mounted to the chamber for easy removal, such as by screws, and defines a space along the periphery of the substrate support. A shadow ring is inserted into the peripheral space and is thus mounted in removable fashion and is automatically centered about the substrate by an alignment ring. The alignment ring removably rests upon a flange extending from the outer periphery of an electrostatic chuck. The shadow ring overlaps the cylindrical shield member, the alignment ring and the peripheral edge of a substrate retained by the chuck. Collectively, these components prevent deposition on the chamber and hardware outside the processing region.

Deposition shield assembly for a semiconductor wafer processing system

Electrostatic chuck with improved spacing and charge migration reduction

Apparatus for limiting the rotation of a deposition ring relative to a substrate support. Specifically, the deposition ring is rotatably affixed to the substrate support. In a first embodiment of the apparatus, an anti-rotation pin is affixed to a deposition ring that circumscribes a substrate support such as an electrostatic chuck. An anti-rotation bracket is attached at a first end to the substrate support. A second end is coupled to the anti-rotation pin. As such, the deposition ring has some degree of freedom to adjust to thermal expansion of the deposition ring and the substrate support; however, the deposition ring is prevented by the interaction of the anti-rotation pin and bracket from rotating to a point where the deposition ring becomes stuck to the substrate support. In an alternative embodiment of the apparatus, a anti-rotation pin or bump is formed on the underside of the deposition ring. A matching indentation is formed on a radially extending, circumferential flange extending from the substrate support and supporting the deposition ring. The pin and indentation interact to limit the amount of rotation that can be attained by the deposition ring.

Deposition ring anti-rotation apparatus

A method and apparatus for fabricating a wafer spacing mask on a workpiece support chuck. Such apparatus is a plate containing a plurality of apertures that is positioned atop the workpiece support chuck while material is deposited onto the plate and through the apertures onto chuck. Upon completion of the deposition process, the plate is removed from the workpiece support chuck leaving deposits of the material to form the wafer spacing mask.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Allen Flanigan