Lam Research Corporation

Bruno Morel

Hong Shih

Duane Outka

Fred Egley

Michael S Kang

Anthony L Chen

Jack Kuo

Aleksander Owczarz

Yehiel Gotkis

Rodney C Kistler

David J Hemker

Damon Vincent Williams

Eric H Lenz

Armen Avoyan

Fangli J Hao

Brian K McMillin

Albert R Ellingboe

Tuochuan Huang

Catherine Zhou

Paul Mulgrew

Bare aluminum baffles are adapted for resist stripping chambers and include an outer aluminum oxide layer, which can be a native aluminum oxide layer or a layer formed by chemically treating a new or used bare aluminum baffle to form a thin outer aluminum oxide layer.

Bare aluminum baffles for resist stripping chambers

A non-destructive and simple method for cleaning a new or used electrostatic chuck comprises a wet cleaning process, which removes contaminants deposited on a surface of the electrostatic chuck.

Wet cleaning of electrostatic chucks

In chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, a wafer carrier plate is provided with a cavity for reception of a sensor positioned very close to a wafer to be polished. Energy resulting from contact between a polishing pad and an exposed surface of the wafer is transmitted only a very short distance to the sensor and is sensed by the sensor, providing data as to the nature of properties of the exposed surface of the wafer, and of transitions of those properties. Correlation methods provide graphs relating sensed energy to the surface properties, and to the transitions. The correlation graphs provide process status data for process control.

Apparatus and methods for detecting transitions of wafer surface properties in chemical mechanical polishing for process status and control

In chemical mechanical polishing, a wafer carrier plate is provided with a cavity for reception of a sensor positioned very close to a wafer to be polished. Energy resulting from contact between a polishing pad and an exposed surface of the wafer is transmitted only a very short distance to the sensor and is sensed by the sensor, providing data as to the nature of properties of the exposed surface of the wafer, and of transitions of those properties. Correlation methods provide graphs relating sensed energy to the surface properties, and to the transitions. The correlation graphs provide process status data for process control.

Methods for detecting transitions of wafer surface properties in chemical mechanical polishing for process status and control

A load simulator and switch are connected to a power source of a plasma processing device. The switch allows the load simulator to be electrically connected to the power source to allow testing of the power source. The switch and load simulator allow the testing of the power source without mechanically removing the power source from the plasma processing device. In addition, the switch allows the connection of the load simulator to the power source while the power source is on, avoiding the requirement of turning off the power source before connecting the load simulator.

Integrated load simulator

A plasma processing chamber is provided which provides improved wafer area pressure control. The plasma processing chamber is a vacuum chamber with a device connected for generating and sustaining a plasma. Part of this device would be an etchant gas source and an exhaust port. A confinement ring defines an area above a wafer. The wafer area pressure is dependent on the pressure drop across the confinement ring. The confinement ring is part of a confinement device that provides wafer area pressure control greater than 40%. Such a confinement device may be a fixed vertical restriction ring in addition to the confinement ring, where the confinement ring is adjustable. In the alternative, three adjustable confinement rings may be used to provide the desired wafer area pressure control.

Wafer area pressure control

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Bruno Morel