Applied Materials, Inc.

Intermolecular, Inc.

Bernardo Donoso

Alexander Sou-Kang Ko

Alexander N Lerner

Donald J Olgado

Joseph Stevens

Yeuk-Fai Edwin Mok

Dmitry Lubomirsky

Manoocher Birang

Michael Xiaoxuan Yang

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Karl Anthony Littau

Ming Xi

Son Truong Nguyen

Arulkumar P Shanmugasundram

Donald J K Olgado

Allen L D'Ambra

Anh Ngoc Nguyen

Henry Ho

Lily L Pang

Nicolay Kovarsky

Mark Robert Denome

Russell C Ellwanger

Lawrence Duane Bartholomew

Yevgeniy Rabinovich

Svetlana Sherman

Eric B Britcher

Vincent E Burkhardt

Embodiments provided herein describe systems and method for processing substrates. A substrate is provided. A showerhead is positioned above the substrate. The showerhead includes a plurality of injection ports, at least one isolation channel, and at least one exhaust port on a bottom surface thereof. The at least one isolation channel separates the plurality of injection ports into two or more sections. The at least one exhaust port is positioned within the at least one isolation channel. The plurality of injection ports are not in fluid communication with the at least one exhaust port within the showerhead. At least one processing fluid is caused to be delivered from the plurality of injection ports onto the substrate. At least some of the at least one processing fluid is caused to be removed from the substrate through the at least one exhaust port.

Vapor based site-isolated processing systems and methods

A method and apparatus for measuring differential voltages in an electrolyte of an electrochemical plating cell. Current densities are calculated from the measured differential voltages and correlated to thickness values of plated materials. A real time thickness profile may be generated from the thickness values.

In-situ profile measurement in an electroplating process

A substrate-handling robot which serves a processing tool such as a plating tool may be automatically controlled by a controller to perform a self-calibration procedure. As part of the procedure, an end effector of the robot is moved to interact with sensors provided on a calibration fixture that is positioned in a substrate placement location for which the calibration procedure is performed. The calibration fixture may have an opening formed therein to allow movement of the robot end effector within the calibration fixture. Sensor light beams generated by the sensors may interact with the end effector during the automatic calibration process so as to determine calibration data for the substrate placement location.

Method and apparatus for self-calibration of a substrate handling robot

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

In a first aspect, a rotary vacuum-chuck is provided that may hold a substrate such as a silicon wafer for rotation. The vacuum-chuck includes a hollow rotary shaft and a chuck mounted on the hollow rotary shaft and having a surface adapted to support a substrate. The chuck has one or more openings in fluid communication with the hollow rotary shaft. A venturi is formed near an end of the hollow rotary shaft to apply vacuum to the hollow rotary shaft and the openings in the chuck surface. No seal is required between the end of the hollow rotary shaft and a surrounding stationary block.

Rotary vacuum-chuck with venturi formed at base of rotating shaft

A method and an apparatus is provided that may fix a point at which an etchant or a fluid sprayed from a nozzle impacts a substrate. By fixing a first angle measured between the inventive nozzle and a substrate support and fixing a process height of a nozzle relative to a substrate support, a second angle, measured between a fluid sprayed from the nozzle and a line tangent to a substrate support, may vary without affecting the fluid impact point.

Adjustable nozzle for wafer bevel cleaning

An apparatus and associated method for securing a wafer to a SRD spider, the SRD spider has a plurality of spider arms. The apparatus includes a plurality of spaced surfaces disposed on a distal end of one of the spider arms, each of the surfaces being spaced perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis of the spider arm. In one aspect, the two surfaces are positioned to limit production of a wedging force between that spaced surface and the wafer. In one embodiment, a post at least partially defines each one of the plurality of spaced surfaces.

Dual post centrifugal wafer clip for spin rinse dry unit

In one aspect, a vacuum chuck supports a substrate on an end effector, the vacuum chuck comprising a position reference structure and a suction cup. The position reference structure is mounted to the surface and comprises a reference surface. The suction cup is located proximate the reference surface and comprising a suction mount. In another aspect, a method of chucking a substrate to a vacuum chuck is provided. The vacuum chuck comprises a suction cup and a position reference structure. The method comprises attaching the suction cup to the substrate to form a seal therebetween. The suction cup is deformed such that the substrate contacts the position reference structure. The substrate is then leveled on the position reference structure.

Self positioning vacuum chuck

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Bernardo Donoso