Applied Materials, Inc.

Eng Sheng Peh

Sriskantharajah Thirunavukarasu

Karthik Elumalai

Karthik Balakrishnan

Srinivas D Nemani

Ellie Y Yieh

Arvind Sundarrajan

Cheng Sun

Avinash Avula

Shoju Vayyapron

Jungrae Park

Jun-Liang Su

Dimantha Rajapaksa

Rohit Mishra

Fang Jie Lim

Karrthik Parathithasan

Arunkumar Tatti

Siva Suri Chandra Rao Bhesetti

Michael Robert Rice

James S Papanu

Tuck Foong Koh

Ginetto Addiego

Jen Sern Lew

Sai Abhinand

Gaurav Mehta

Arunkumar M Tatti

Michael Sorensen

Sri Thirunavukarasu

Onkara Korasiddaramaiah

Shankeerthan Kalyanasundaram

Anand Mahadev

Muhammad Danial Bin Mohamed Yunos

Ye Y Liu

Embodiments disclosed herein include an apparatus that includes an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The electrostatic chuck may include a first body that is electrically conductive, and a ceramic insert on the first body with an electrode embedded within the ceramic insert. In an embodiment, the apparatus may further include a facility plate that is coupled to the ESC. The facility plate may include a second body that is electrically conductive with a hole through the second body. In an embodiment, a DC input connector is provided through the hole, and an RF feed line is coupled to the second body. In an embodiment, a pin of the DC input connector is electrically isolated from the RF feed line.

Cathode assembly for integration of embedded electrostatic chuck (ESC)

Methods and apparatus for laser patterning leverage mask trench debris removal techniques to form etch singulation trenches. In some embodiments, the method includes forming a mask layer on the wafer, forming a pattern in the mask layer using a laser of a laser assembly where the pattern allows singulation of the wafer by deep etching and forms a trench in the mask layer with a laser beam which has a process point at a bottom of the trench, directing gas nozzles that flow a pressurized gas at the process point in the trench as the pattern is formed with a gas flow angle relative to the process point and evacuating debris from the trench using an area of negative pressure where the gas flow from gas nozzles and the area of negative pressure are in fluid contact and are confined within a cylindrical housing.

Methods and apparatus for mask patterning debris removal

In an embodiment, a semiconductor processing tool for implementing hybrid laser and plasma dicing of a substrate is provided. The semiconductor processing tool comprises a transfer module, where the transfer module comprises a track robot for handling the substrate, and a loadlock attached to the transfer module. In an embodiment, the loadlock comprises a linear transfer system for handling the substrate. In an embodiment, the processing tool further comprises a processing chamber attached to the loadlock, wherein the linear transfer system of the loadlock is configured to insert and remove the substrate from the processing chamber.

Mainframe-less wafer transfer platform with linear transfer system for wafer processing modules

Electrostatic chucks with reduced current leakage and methods of dicing semiconductor wafers are described. In an example, an etch apparatus includes a chamber, and a plasma source within or coupled to the chamber. An electrostatic chuck is within the chamber. The electrostatic chuck includes a conductive pedestal having a plurality of notches at a circumferential edge thereof. The electrostatic chuck also includes a plurality of lift pins corresponding to ones of the plurality of notches.

Electrostatic chuck with reduced current leakage for hybrid laser scribing and plasma etch wafer singulation process

Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits involves forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask composed of a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask is then patterned with an actively-focused laser beam laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is then plasma etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the integrated circuits.

Hybrid wafer dicing approach using an actively-focused laser beam laser scribing process and plasma etch process

Embodiments of substrate transfer apparatus are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for storing and transporting at least one substrate in a vacuum includes a carrying case for storing one or more substrates, wherein the carrying case includes a vacuum port and a plurality of holders to hold one or more substrates within an inner volume of the carrying case; and a vacuum source in fluid connection with the carrying case via the vacuum port.

Substrate vacuum transport and storage apparatus

A nozzle for uniform plasma processing comprises an inlet portion and an outlet portion. The inlet portion has a side surface substantially parallel to a vertical axis. The inlet portion comprises a plurality of gas channels. The outlet portion is coupled to the inlet portion. The outlet portion comprises a plurality of outlets. At least one of the outlets is at an angle other than a right angle relative to the vertical axis.

Nozzle for uniform plasma processing

Embodiments of methods and apparatus for handling substrates of different sizes are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for handling substrates of different sizes includes: a pair of end effectors having a first set of contact pads configured to support a substrate having a first size and a second set of contact pads configured to support a substrate having a second size, smaller than the first size.

Apparatus for handling various sized substrates

Methods and apparatus for detecting warpage in a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a warpage detector for detecting warpage in substrates includes: one or more light sources to illuminate one or more substrates when present; a camera for capturing images of exposed portions of one or more substrates when present; a motion assembly having a mounting stage for supporting the camera; and a data acquisition interface (DAI) coupled to the camera to process substrate images and detect warpage of substrates based upon the processed substrate images.

Image based substrate mapper

Embodiments of a hybrid substrate carrier are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate carrier includes: a carrier ring having an inner ledge adjacent a central opening of the carrier ring; and a carrier plate having a diameter greater than central opening and configured to rest upon the inner ledge, wherein the carrier plate includes an electrode disposed beneath a support surface to electrostatically clamp a substrate to the support surface of the carrier plate.

Hybrid substrate carrier

Embodiments of multi-cassette carrying cases are provided herein. In some embodiments a multi-cassette carrying case includes: a body having an inner volume; a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume; and a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes. In some embodiments, a method of transferring substrates includes: placing a substrate in a substrate cassette, wherein an inner volume of the substrate cassette is sealed from an environment outside of the substrate cassette; and placing the substrate cassette in a multi-cassette carrying case.

Multi-cassette carrying case

A bridging front opening unified pod (FOUP) is provided herein. In some embodiments, the bridging FOUP includes a bottom floor, side walls, a ceiling and a back wall that forms an enclosure volume having a front opening, a plurality of supports coupled to the side walls and extending into the enclosure volume, wherein the plurality of supports are configured to support a substrate carrier, a base plate assembly comprising a base plate coupled to the bottom floor, a pair of L-brackets coupled to the base plate, wherein each L-brackets includes a short lift pin, a long lift pin coupled to the base plate, wherein the height of the short lift pins and the long lift pin is selected such that the substrate is kept level when disposed thereon, and a docking support disposed proximate the base plate assembly and configured to support a substrate carrier.

Bridging front opening unified pod (FOUP)

Systems, apparatuses and methods for determining a surface profile of a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes projecting a signal having a vertical component/profile across the surface of the substrate from a plurality of locations along a first side of the substrate, capturing the projected signals at each of a plurality of respective locations across the surface of the substrate and determining a surface profile for the substrate using the captured signals. The process can be automated using a controller having predetermined projection and capture positions along respective sides of the substrate, where a surface profile of the substrate can be automatically determined by the controller using the captured signals.

Growing community of inventors

Singapore, Singapore

Eng Sheng Peh