Applied Materials, Inc.

General Electric Company

Anh Ngoc Nguyen

Son Truong Nguyen

Dmitry Lubomirsky

Ming Xi

Anzhong Chang

Michael Xiaoxuan Yang

Salvador P Umotoy

Mehmet Tugrul Samir

Xiaoxiong Yuan

Gerald A Deaver

Siqing Lu

Steve H Chiao

James Walton Pyron

Joseph Yudovsky

Alexander N Lerner

Lawrence C Lei

Lawrence Chung-Lai Lei

Yu Wen Chang

Kenric T Choi

Henry Ho

Lily L Pang

Kedarnath Sangam

Tao Hou

Dongxi Sun

Vinh Dang

Mei Yin Chang

Joseph Michael Ranish

Manoocher Birang

Hua Chung

David K Carlson

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Vincent W Ku

Paul Brillhart

Arulkumar P Shanmugasundram

Shu-Kwan Danny Lau

Satheesh Kuppurao

Sean M Seutter

Chen-An Chen

Joel M Huston

Allen L D'Ambra

David Palagashvili

Oleg V Serebryanov

Kailash Kiran Patalay

Zuoming Zhu

Dongming Iu

Bernard Lloyd Hwang

Surajit Kumar

Yeuk-Fai Edwin Mok

Anqing Cui

Xianzhi Tao

Tai T Ngo

Russell C Ellwanger

Bernardo Donoso

Yevgeniy Rabinovich

Herman Diniz

Sal Umotoy

James J Chen

Svetlana Sherman

Chiliang L Chen

Binh Hoa Tran

Ron L Rose

Steve Aboagye

Eric B Britcher

Anzhong (Andrew) Chang

Hongbee Teoh

Truc T Tran

Be Van Vo

Lawrence Chung-Lei

David Palagashvill

Mark A Alexander

Hungsuk A Yoon

A workpiece carrier is described for a plasma processing chamber that has isolated heater plate blocks. In one example, a plasma processing system has a plasma chamber, a plasma source electrically coupled with a showerhead included within the plasma chamber, a workpiece holder in a processing region of the plasma chamber having a puck to carry a workpiece, wherein the workpiece holder includes a heater plate having a plurality of thermally isolated blocks each thermally coupled to the puck, wherein each block includes a heater to heat a respective block of the heater plate, and wherein the workpiece holder includes a cooling plate fastened to and thermally coupled to the heater plate, the cooling plate defining a cooling channel configured to distribute a heat transfer fluid to transfer heat from the cooling plate, and a temperature controller to independently control each heater.

Plasma processing system workpiece carrier with thermally isolated heater plate blocks

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a gas distribution assembly for providing improved uniform distribution of processing gases into a semiconductor processing chamber. The gas distribution assembly includes a gas distribution plate, a blocker plate, and a dual zone showerhead. The gas distribution assembly provides for independent center to edge flow zonality, independent two precursor delivery, two precursor mixing via a mixing manifold, and recursive mass flow distribution in the gas distribution plate.

Gas distribution showerhead for semiconductor processing

A wafer carrier is described with independent isolated heater zones. In one example, the carrier has a puck to carry a workpiece for fabrication processes, a heater plate having a plurality of thermally isolated blocks each thermally coupled to the puck, and each having a heater to heat a respective block of the heater plate, and a cooling plate fastened to and thermally coupled to the heater plate, the cooling plate having a cooling channel to carry a heat transfer fluid to transfer heat from the cooling plate.

Wafer carrier with independent isolated heater zones

A method and apparatus for heating or cooling a fluid is provided. In one embodiment, a heat exchanger is provided. The heat exchanger includes a first subassembly comprising an insert. The insert comprises a body having a blind passage formed axially in the body, a plurality of nozzles formed therein, and a first plurality of heat exchange elements disposed within the body. The heat exchanger also comprises a second subassembly comprising a sleeve and a second plurality of heat exchange elements disposed within the sleeve, wherein the insert is sealably engaged inside the sleeve and the insert and the sleeve cooperatively define a thin gap, and wherein each of the plurality of nozzles are disposed radially between the blind passage and the thin gap.

Gas heater

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a dome assembly. The dome assembly includes an upper dome including a central window, and an upper peripheral flange engaging the central window at a circumference of the central window, wherein a tangent line on an inside surface of the central window that passes through an intersection of the central window and the upper peripheral flange is at an angle of about 8&#xb0; to about 16&#xb0; with respect to a planar upper surface of the peripheral flange, a lower dome comprising a lower peripheral flange and a bottom connecting the lower peripheral flange with a central opening, wherein a tangent line on an outside surface of the bottom that passes through an intersection of the bottom and the lower peripheral flange is at an angle of about 8&#xb0; to about 16&#xb0; with respect to a planar bottom surface of the lower peripheral flange.

Quartz upper and lower domes

Embodiments of the invention provide improved apparatus for depositing layers on substrates, such as by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The inventive apparatus disclosed herein may advantageously facilitate one or more of depositing films having reduced film thickness non-uniformity within a given process chamber, improved particle performance (e.g., reduced particles on films formed in the process chamber), chamber-to-chamber performance matching amongst a plurality of process chambers, and improved process chamber serviceability.

CVD apparatus for improved film thickness non-uniformity and particle performance

Embodiments of the invention relate to apparatus and methods for depositing materials on substrates during atomic layer deposition processes. In one embodiment, a chamber lid assembly comprises a channel having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the channel extends along a central axis, a housing having an inner region and at least partially defining two or more annular channels, an insert disposed in the inner region and defining the upper portion, the upper portion fluidly coupled with the two or more annular channels, and a tapered bottom surface extending from the bottom portion of the channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid assembly.

Atomic layer deposition chamber with multi inject

Methods for gas delivery to a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method may include flowing a process gas through one or more gas conduits, each gas conduit having an inlet and an outlet for facilitating the flow of gas through the gas conduits and into a gas inlet funnel having a second volume, wherein each gas conduit has a first volume less than the second volume, and wherein each gas conduit has a cross-section that increases from a first cross-section proximate the inlet to a second cross-section proximate the outlet but excluding any intersection points between the gas inlet funnel and the gas conduit, and wherein the second cross-section is non-circular; and delivering the process gas to the substrate via the gas inlet funnel.

Process gas delivery for semiconductor process chambers

A method and apparatus for heating or cooling a fluid. An inlet conduit coupled to a plurality of distribution nozzles in fluid communication with a channel at the periphery of the apparatus. An insert and a sleeve cooperatively define a thin gap, in fluid communication with the channel, through which the fluid flows. Thermal inserts near the thin gap generate heat flux into or out of the fluid, which exits through an outlet conduit.

Methods and apparatus for a gas delivery assembly are provided herein. In some embodiments, the gas delivery assembly includes a gas inlet funnel having a first volume and one or more gas conduits; each gas conduit having an inlet and an outlet for facilitating the flow of a gas therethrough and into the first volume, wherein each gas conduit has a second volume less than the first volume, and wherein each gas conduit has a cross-section that increases from a first cross-section proximate the inlet to a second cross-section proximate the outlet, wherein the second cross-section is non-circular. In some embodiments, each conduit has a longitudinal axis that intersects a central axis of the gas inlet funnel.

Process gas delivery for semiconductor process chamber

Embodiments of the invention generally provide apparatus and method for detecting and controlling edge bevel removal of a semiconductor substrate. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for inspecting a rotating substrate. The apparatus comprises a substrate support configured to support the rotating substrate on a back side and rotate the substrate about a central axis, and a sensor positioned above the substrate support, the sensor being configured to inspect a front side of the rotating substrate while moving simultaneously radially across the substrate.

Copper deposition chamber having integrated bevel clean with edge bevel removal detection

A method and apparatus for cleaning the bevel of a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus generally includes a cell body having upstanding walls and a fluid drain basin, a rotatable vacuum chuck positioned centrally positioned in the fluid drain basin, and at least 3 substrate centering members positioned at equal radial increments around the rotatable vacuum chuck. The substrate centering members include a vertically oriented shaft having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, a cap member positioned over an upper terminating end of the shaft, a raised central portion formed onto the cap member, the raised central portion having a maximum thickness at a location the coincides with the longitudinal axis, and a substrate centering post positioned on the cap member radially outward of the raised central portion, an upper terminating end of the substrate centering post extending from the cap member to a distance that exceeds the maximum thickness. The apparatus further includes a centering actuation mechanism in communication with the substrate centering posts, and a fluid dispensing arm pivotally connected to the cell body, the fluid dispensing arm being configured to dispense a processing fluid onto a first side of the substrate.

Integrated bevel clean chamber

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivery of reactants to a substrate processing chamber. An electronically controlled valve assembly is provided for rapid delivery of pulses of reactants to the chamber. The valve assembly comprises a valve body having a valve seat, and at least one gas inlet and one gas outlet below the seat. The piston is selectively movable within the valve body to open and close the valve. In order to actuate the valve assembly, current is sent to a solenoid coil within the valve body. The solenoid coil generates a magnetic field that acts on an adjacent magnetic member. The solenoid coil, magnetic member and piston are arranged such that relative movement of the coil and magnetic member cause the piston to be moved relative to the valve seat.

Electronically actuated valve

Embodiments of the invention generally provide an electrochemical plating system. The plating system includes a substrate loading station positioned in communication with a mainframe processing platform, at least one substrate plating cell positioned on the mainframe, at least one substrate bevel cleaning cell positioned on the mainframe, and a stacked substrate annealing station positioned in communication with at least one of the mainframe and the loading station, each chamber in the stacked substrate annealing station having a heating plate, a cooling plate, and a substrate transfer robot therein.

Multi-chemistry plating system

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Anh Ngoc Nguyen