Applied Materials, Inc.

Devendra Channappa Holeyannavar

Dean C Hruzek

Michael Robert Rice

Shivaraj Manjunath Nara

Philip Allan Kraus

Paul Benjamin Reuter

Keith R Berding

Upendra V Ummethala

Jeffrey Allen Brodine

Blake Erickson

Patrick John Tae

Sivasankar Nagarajan

Sandesh Doddamane Ramappa

Anandakumar Parameshwarappa

Dhirendra Kumar

Douglas Brian Baumgarten

Narayanan Ramachandran

Arunkumar Ramachandraiah

Srinivas Poshatrahalli Gopalakrishna

Sushant Suresh Koshti

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Jacob Newman

Andrew J Constant

Shay Assaf

David Phillips

Lakshmikantha K Shirahatti

Babu Chinnasamy

Embodiments disclosed herein include a diagnostic substrate, comprising a baseplate, and a first plurality of image sensors on the baseplate, where the first plurality of image sensors are oriented horizontal to the baseplate. In an embodiment, the diagnostic substrate further comprises a second plurality of image sensors on the baseplate, where the second plurality of image sensors are oriented at a non-orthogonal angle to the baseplate. In an embodiment, the diagnostic substrate further comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) on the baseplate, and a controller on the baseplate, where the controller is communicatively coupled to the first plurality of image sensors and the second plurality of image sensors by the PCB. In an embodiment, the diagnostic substrate further comprises a diffuser lid over the baseplate, the PCB, and the controller.

Smart camera substrate

The disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a load port for receiving a substrate carrier. The load port can include a frame adapted for connecting the load port to a factory interface, the frame comprising a transport opening through which one or more substrates are capable of being transported between the substrate carrier and the factory interface. The load port can also include an actuator coupled to the frame, and a load port door coupled to the actuator and configured to seal the transport opening. The frame height can be greater than the height of the load port door, and less than 2.5 times the height of the load port door.

Shortened load port for factory interface

A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a load lock disposed within the interior volume of a factory interface and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface. The factory interface robot can be configured to transfer substrates between a first set of substrate carriers and the first load lock. The factory interface robot can comprise a vertical tower, a plurality of links, and an end effector.

Factory interface robots usable with integrated load locks

A platform is of a side storage pod. The platform includes an upper surface and kinematic pins extending from the upper surface within a chamber of the side storage pod to engage a lower surface of a side storage container in the chamber to level the side storage container in the chamber.

Side storage pods, equipment front end modules, and methods for processing substrates

Disclosed is a wafer processing system, a load lock system, a chamber system, and methods of neutralizing static charges and dislodging particles from a wafer. The chamber system (e.g., load lock system) may comprise a chamber (e.g., load lock chamber), at least one ionizer to ionize inert gas supplied to the chamber (e.g., load lock chamber), at least one bottom nozzle to flow ionized inert gas to a bottom surface of a wafer, at least one top nozzle to flow ionized inert gas to a top surface of a wafer, and at least one exhaust vent to remove the ionized inert gas and any neutralized particles dislodged from the wafer. The chamber may include a single wafer or multiple wafers. The chamber system may further comprise at least one nozzle to flow an inert gas curtain proximate to an exit and/or entry into the chamber.

Ionized gas vent to reduce on wafer static charge and particles

An equipment front end module (EFEM) includes sidewalls forming an EFEM chamber configured to receive inert gas from an inert gas supply. The sidewalls include a first sidewall configured to attach to a panel first side of a panel. The panel forms a panel opening extending between the panel first side and a panel second side. The panel second side is configured to attach to a side storage pod. The EFEM further includes a robot disposed in the EFEM chamber. The robot is configured to transfer substrates from the EFEM chamber into the side storage pod via the panel opening. An exhaust conduit is coupled to the side storage pod to exhaust gas from the side storage pod to an exterior of the side storage pod.

Multi-blade robot apparatus, electronic device manufacturing apparatus, and methods adapted to transport multiple substrates in electronic device manufacturing

A detector disc includes a disc body having a bottom disc and a top cover, the top cover including a first aperture. A sensor is disposed inside the disc body and positioned to be exposed to an external environment via the first aperture in the top cover. The solid state sensor is adapted to detect levels of chemical gas contaminants and output a detection signal based on detected levels of the chemical gas contaminants. A microcontroller is disposed on the PCB and adapted to generate measurement data from the detected levels of the chemical gas contaminants embodied within the detection signal. A wireless communication circuit is disposed on the PCB, the wireless communication circuit adapted to transmit the measurement data wirelessly to a wireless access point device.

Portable disc to measure chemical gas contaminants within semiconductor equipment and clean room

Electronic device manufacturing systems may include an equipment front end module (EFEM) having a load port assembly configured to receiving a substrate carrier, which may be a front opening unified pod (FOUP). The load port assembly may have a receiving plate upon which the substrate carrier may be received. The receiving plate may have a plurality of gas nozzles that can be coupled to purge ports in a bottom of the substrate carrier and to a purge apparatus of the load port assembly. The purge apparatus is configured to provide a gas to the substrate carrier at a selectable gas flow rate and, in some embodiments, to provide a gas to different portions of the substrate carrier each at a selectable gas flow rate. Methods of providing selectable gas flow rates for purging a substrate carrier coupled to a load port assembly are also provided, as are other aspects.

Selectable-rate bottom purge apparatus and methods

Electronic device processing systems including side storage pods are described. One electronic device processing system has a side storage pod having a first chamber configured to receive a side storage container; a panel having a panel opening; the panel configured to be coupled between a side storage container and an equipment front end module; a side storage container received in the first chamber; and an exhaust conduit configured to be coupled to the side storage container received and extending to an exterior of the first chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Bengaluru, India

Devendra Channappa Holeyannavar