Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

Other

Eaton Corporation

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Axcolis Technologies, Inc.

David William Kinnard

Daniel B Richardson

Andre G Cardoso

David Ferris

Daniel F Zivi

Daniel Brian Richardson

A cable termination system and method include providing an outer socket having a frustum shaped socket interior tapering from a base to a top opening. The outer socket is comprised of two semicircular socket pieces, each forming a portion of a complete circumference of the outer socket. A plurality of elongate cable strands extend through the socket interior with individual strands circumferentially spaced to form a single layer of strands at the base opening. A frustoconical inner plug is inserted into the socket by a compressive force exceeding a maximum tensile force of the stranded cable for holding the cable in the socket without slippage when a tensile force is applied between the cable and the outer socket. The inner plug includes a plurality of longitudinally extending, laterally separate plug subassemblies.

Cable termination method and apparatus

A reactor assembly and processing method for treating a substrate generally includes a base unit, a chuck assembly, a process chamber, an inlet manifold assembly and an exit manifold assembly. The inlet manifold assembly is in fluid communication with a first opening of the process chamber, wherein the inlet manifold assembly comprises a flow-shaping portion adapted to laterally elongate a gas and/or a reactant flow into the process chamber. The exhaust manifold assembly in fluid communication with a second opening of the process chamber and is diametrically opposed to the inlet manifold assembly. The process includes flowing a gas and/or reactive species into the process chamber of the reactor assembly in a direction that is about planar with the substrate surface providing improved uniformity and increased reactivity.

Reactor assembly and processing method

A loadlock chamber assembly includes a loadlock chamber, a sub-chamber removably attached to the loadlock chamber and a first robot arm having a primary pivot axis within the sub-chamber, wherein the first robot arm can move a substrate from a position approximately in a center of the loadlock chamber to a position outside the loadlock chamber.

Wafer transport apparatus

A plasma processing system is provided, having processor integral cooling passages for reducing an operating temperature thereof during processing of a wafer by the system. Cooling medium inlets and outlets are connected to the cooling passages to permit circulation of a cooling medium through the cooling passages. The baffle plate comprises a generally planar, apertured, gas distribution central portion surrounded by a flange into both of which the cooling passages may extend. Further, the baffle plate may have a non-apertured plate overlying and covering apertures in a central portion of the baffle plate.

Actively-cooled distribution plate for reducing reactive gas temperature in a plasma processing system

A baffle plate assembly ( ) is provided for distributing gas flow into an adjacent process chamber cavity ( ) containing a semiconductor wafer to be processed. The baffle plate assembly ( ) comprises a generally planar upper baffle plate ( ) fixedly positioned above a generally planar lower baffle plate ( ) and covered by a process chamber top wall ( ). The top wall ( ) and the lower baffle plate form a plenum therebetween, the plenum operating at a higher pressure than the process chamber cavity ( ) during operation of the device, At least the lower baffle plate ( ) has a pattern of apertures ( ) formed therein for permitting gas to pass therethrough and into the wafer process chamber. The upper baffle plate ( ) and the lower baffle plate ( ) are positioned generally parallel to each other, and the upper baffle plate ( ) is smaller than the lower baffle plate ( ). Preferably, the lower baffle plate ( ) is comprised of low-alloy anodized aluminum, and the upper baffle plate ( ) is comprised of sapphire-coated quartz.

Gas distribution plate assembly for providing laminar gas flow across the surface of a substrate

A temperature control system (,) is provided for a plasma processing device (,). The plasma processing device (,) comprises a plasma generator (,) and a processing chamber (,) in communication with the plasma generator (,) such that plasma within the generator may pass into the chamber and react with the surface of a substrate (,) residing therein. The temperature control system (,) comprises (i) a radiant heater assembly (,) for heating the substrate (,), comprising a plurality of radiant heating elements (,) arranged in a plurality of zones (a-n), each zone comprising at least one heating element, and a focused reflector (,) for focusing radiant energy from the heating elements toward the substrate; (ii) a feedback mechanism (,) for providing a substrate temperature feedback signal (,); and (iii) a controller (,), including a P-I-D closed loop controller (,) and a lamp power controller (,). The P-I-D closed loop controller (,) receives a temperature setpoint signal and the temperature feedback signal and in response thereto independently adjusts a control variable sent to the lamp power controller. The power controller (,) then adjusts the power applied to the plurality of zones of radiant heating elements, independently of the control variable, based on temperature zone maps stored in processor memory. The power controller operates in at least a first ramp state and a second steady state, depending upon the magnitude of difference (&Dgr;) between the temperature setpoint signal and the temperature feedback signal.

Zone controlled radiant heating system utilizing focused reflector

A thermocouple support arm assembly (20) is provided, comprising (i) an arm (28) extending longitudinally along a first axis (X) and having a thermocouple (30) extending therefrom; (ii) an anvil (40) supported by the arm (28) and at least partially occupying a plane defined by a second axis (Y) and a third axis (Z), the anvil positioned below the thermocouple; and (iii) a mounting mechanism (36) for mounting the anvil (40) on the arm (28) such that the anvil (40) is permitted three degrees of rotational freedom with respect to the arm along, respectively, axes X, Y and Z. When a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is positioned above the thermocouple (30) to at least partially rest upon the thermocouple and the anvil (40), the anvil moves with respect to the arm (28) along the axes (X, Y, Z) to force the thermocouple into contact with the substrate. The thermocouple (30) is constructed of a flexible foil that elastically deforms to conform to the underside of the substrate, when the anvil forces the thermocouple into contact with the substrate, to provide a plurality of contact points (48, 50, 52, 54) between the thermocouple and the substrate. A generally planar shield member may be provided extending from the support arm (28) and located below the anvil (40).

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Olney, MD, United States of America

David William Kinnard