Applied Materials, Inc.

Allen Thompson

Peijun Ding

Tse-Yong Yao

Richard Hong

Joe Stevens

Shannon M Hart

David P Alvarez

Norman Cowan

A method and apparatus is provided for clamping and shielding the edge of a substrate useful in electronic device fabrication. A shadow ring is formed by an inward radial extension of the top surface of a generally annular shaped clamp ring. The shadow ring portion overhangs but does not contact the top surface of a substrate being processed. A smoothly tapered substrate contact surface extending from the outer diametrical extent of the shadow ring bottom surface to the bottom surface of the clamp ring is sized and adapted to engage the outer edge of a substrate. The substrate contact surface aligns the clamp ring to a substrate support member and a substrate to the substrate support member and the clamp ring as the substrate is lifted vertically.

Use of tapered shadow clamp ring to provide improved physical vapor deposition system

A valve system is provided for operatively coupling a high pressure source to a processing chamber that selectively cycles between high pressure and vacuum. The valve system includes a branch passageway that selectively communicates a source of intermediate pressure to a main passageway that couples the high pressure source to the processing chamber. The source of intermediate pressure may comprise a vent, a pump, or a source of pressurized fluid, etc. An inventive valve for sealing between the intermediate pressure and the vacuum pressure is also provided. The inlet of the valve is operatively coupled to the high pressure source (via one or more valves) and the outlet of the valve is operatively coupled to the processing chamber (via one or more valves). The valve stem is in continuous fluid contact with the inlet and is configured for high pressure sealing, and the outlet is configured for low pressure sealing and preferably comprises a resilient sealing member.

High pressure/vacuum isolation apparatus and method

An improved method and apparatus are disclosed for isolating product gas from compressor operating fluid. A portion of a piston rod directly exposed to the compressor's operating fluid (the oily portion of the piston rod) is atmospherically isolated from the remaining portion of the piston rod by providing the piston rod with a collar that separates the oily portion of the piston rod from the remainder of the piston rod. A first and a second flexible membrane are coupled to the collar to form a first isolation region, and a second isolation region; the first isolation region encases the oily portion of the piston rod and atmospherically isolates it from the second isolation region, and the second isolation region provides additional isolation from both the operating fluid and the ambient environment. A higher pressure is maintained along the backside of the piston that compresses the product gas than the pressure within the adjacent isolation region. Pairs of wipers with vents coupled therebetween additionally may be employed to further improve product gas isolation.

Apparatus and method for compressing high purity gas

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San Carlos, CA, United States of America

Allen Thompson