Applied Materials, Inc.

Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Brian L Haas

Benjamin B Bierman

James V Tietz

David S Ballance

Paul L Deaton

Meredith J Williams

Dean C Jennings

Ajit Balakrishna

Sundar Ramamurthy

Joseph Michael Ranish

Aaron Muir Hunter

Wolfgang R Aderhold

Daniel Ivanov Kavaldjiev

Ryan C Boas

Abhilash J Mayur

Mark Yam

Satheesh Kuppurao

David W Shortt

George J Kren

Balasubramanian Ramachandran

Shouhong Tang

Kurt Lindsay Haller

Dieter Mueller

Ravi Jallepally

Alexander Belyaev

Aleksey Petrenko

Amith Kumar Murali

Anthony F White

Mike D Kirk

Raman Achutharaman

Nobuyuki Takahashi

An interferometer system and method may be used to measure substrate thickness or shape. The system may include two spaced apart reference flats having that form an optical cavity between two parallel reference surfaces. A substrate holder may be configured to place the substrate in the cavity with first and second substrate surfaces substantially parallel with corresponding first and second reference surfaces such that a space between the first or second substrate surface is three millimeters or less from a corresponding one of the reference surfaces or a damping surface. Interferometer devices may be located on diametrically opposite sides of the cavity and optically coupled thereto. The interferometers can map variations in spacing between the substrate surfaces and the reference surfaces, respectively, through interference of light optically coupled to and from to the cavity via the interferometer devices.

Method and apparatus for measuring shape or thickness information of a substrate

Computer-implemented methods and systems for determining a configuration for a light scattering inspection system are provided. One computer-implemented method includes determining a three-dimensional map of signal-to-noise ratio values for data that would be acquired for a specimen and a potential defect on the specimen by the light scattering inspection system across a scattering hemisphere of the inspection system. The method also includes determining one or more portions of the scattering hemisphere in which the signal-to-noise ratio values are higher than in other portions of the scattering hemisphere based on the three-dimensional map. In addition, the method includes determining a configuration for a detection subsystem of the inspection system based on the one or more portions of the scattering hemisphere.

Computer-implemented methods and systems for determining a configuration for a light scattering inspection system

Method and apparatus for obtaining a tailored heat transfer profile in a chamber housing a microprocessor manufacturing process, including estimating heat transfer properties of the chamber; estimating heat absorptive properties of a wafer; adjusting the physical characteristics of the chamber to correct the heat transfer properties; and utilizing the chamber for manufacturing microprocessors.

Tailored temperature uniformity

In a system for thermal processing of a semiconductor substrate, a reflector plate has a stepped surface facing the substrate during heating and cooling of the substrate. The raised surface of the reflector plate has reduced reflectivity, providing advantages during, among other things, cooling of the substrate. The reflector plate also includes a number of recesses to which one or more pyrometers are coupled. These recesses have a highly reflective surface, providing advantages in the performance of the pyrometers.

Stepped reflector plate

A thermal processing method is described in which a temperature response of a substrate may be controlled during a heat-up phase or a cool-down phase, or during both phases. This reduces the thermal budget of the substrate and improves the quality and performance of devices formed on the substrate. In particular, by controlling the rate of heat transfer between the substrate and a thermal reservoir (e.g., a water-cooled reflector plate assembly), the temperature response of the substrate may be controlled during the thermal process. The rate of heat transfer may be changed by changing the thermal conductivity between the substrate and the thermal reservoir, by changing the emissivity of a surface of the thermal reservoir, or by changing the distance between the substrate and the thermal reservoir.

Thermally processing a substrate

A system and a method for reducing the rate at which volatile contaminants are deposited onto one or more optical components of a substrate processing system are disclosed. A purge fluid is introduced into the processing system at an interior surface of the processing system. A flow of purge fluid is produced across the interior surface to form a contaminant-entraining barrier between a source of the volatile contaminants and the one or more optical components and thereby reduce the rate at which volatile contaminants are deposited onto the optical components of the system. The purge fluid is substantially removed from the processing system.

Reducing the deposition rate of volatile contaminants onto an optical component of a substrate processing system

A thermal processing method is described in which a temperature response of a substrate may be controlled during a heat-up phase or a cool-down phase, or during both phases. This reduces the thermal budget of the substrate and improves the quality and performance of devices formed on the substrate. In particular, by controlling the rate of heat transfer between the substrate and a thermal reservoir (e.g., a watercooled reflector plate assembly), the temperature response of the substrate may be controlled during the thermal process. The rate of heat transfer may changed by changing the thermal conductivity between the substrate and the thermal reservoir, by changing the emissivity of a surface of the thermal reservoir, or by changing the distance between the substrate and the thermal reservoir. The thermal conductivity may be changed by changing the characteristics of a thermal transport medium (e.g., a purge gas) located between the substrate and the thermal reservoir. For example, the thermal conductivity may be changed by changing the composition of the purge gas or the pressure of the purge gas between the substrate and the thermal reservoir. In one implementation, the substrate is heated in accordance with a heating schedule and, during the heating schedule, the rate of heat transfer between the substrate and a thermal reservoir inside the thermal processing system is changed. In another implementation, a first purge gas is supplied into the thermal processing system, the substrate is heated in accordance with a heating schedule, and a second purge gas that is different from the first purge gas is supplied into the thermal processing system.

An apparatus to isolate a rotating frame in a processing chamber, comprising: a support cylinder rotatably extending from the rotating frame; and a co-rotating edge ring extension extending from the support cylinder to at least one of substantially thermally, optically and mechanically isolate the region above the co-rotating edge ring extension from the region below the co-rotating edge ring extension.

Co-rotating edge ring extension for use in a semiconductor processing

A method for controlling the temperature of a substrate in a processing chamber. The processing chamber employs a heating control over at least two heating zones. Each heating zone is independently controllable according to a measured signal corresponding to the substrate temperature and a user-definable offset.

Method and apparatus for achieving temperature uniformity of a substrate

In one embodiment, the invention is directed to an apparatus for preventing depositions from occurring on a reflector in a processing chamber, comprising: a cover disposed adjacent to the reflector, the cover optically transparent over a range of wavelengths in which the reflector is reflective; and at least one cover support for maintaining the position of the cover relative to the reflector.

Reflector cover for a semiconductor processing chamber

An apparatus for purging the backside of a substrate in a process chamber includes a purge gas injector. The injector includes a substantially annular-shaped opening providing a slit that is structured and arranged to direct a flow of purge gas about radially outward therefrom in a direction approximately parallel to a plane defined by the substrate, wherein the substrate is supported in the process chamber above the purge gas injector. When the substrate is rotated at a sufficient speed, the purge gas flowing from the injector is impelled to flow spirally outward along the backside of the substrate.

Method and apparatus for purging the back side of a substrate during

A method of reducing stress on a substrate in a thermal processing chamber. The method includes the steps of supporting a first portion of a substrate by means of contacting the same such that a second portion of the substrate is not contacted, part of the second portion forming one wall of a cavity, and flowing a gas into the cavity such that the pressure of the gas exerts a force on the second portion to at least partially support the second portion.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Brian L Haas