Applied Materials, Inc.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Applied Material, Inc.

Gary Wyka

Michael Robert Rice

Jeff Hudgens

Iraj Sadighi

Charles T Carlson

Benjamin B Riordon

Aaron Webb

Van Hoskins

Jaime Carrera

Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Jason M Schaller

Paul Zachary Wirth

Dmitry A Dzilno

Paul E Pergande

Paul Forderhase

Mitchell DiSanto

Michael Carrell

Siva Chandrasekar

Venkata Raghavaiah Chowdhary Kode

The present disclosure generally relates to an isolation device for use in processing systems. The isolation device has a body with an inlet opening disposed at a first end coupled to a processing system component such as a remote plasma source and outlet openings, for example two, disposed at a second end which are coupled to a processing system component such as a process chamber. Flaps disposed within the body are actuatable to an open position from a closed position or to a closed position from an open position, to selectively allow or prevent passage of a fluid from the processing system component coupled to the isolation device to the other processing system component coupled thereto.

Dual port remote plasma clean isolation valve

Substrate transfer structure

An improved system for measuring the temperature of a plurality of workpieces in a rotating semiconductor processing device is disclosed. Because silicon has variable emissivity in the infrared band, a temperature stable, high emissivity coating is applied to a portion of the workpiece, allowing the temperature of the workpiece to be measured by observing the temperature of the coating. Further, by limiting the amount of coating applied to the workpiece, the effect of the coating on the intrinsic temperature of the workpiece and the surrounding semiconductor processing device may be minimized. The temperature of the workpieces is measured as the workpieces pass under an aperture by capturing a thermal image of a portion of the workpiece. In certain embodiments, a controller is used to process the plurality of thermal images into a single thermal image showing all of the workpieces disposed within the semiconductor processing device.

System and method to monitor semiconductor workpiece temperature using thermal imaging

A vision system and method for calibrating motion of a robot disposed in a processing system is provided. In one embodiment, a vision system for a processing system includes a camera and a calibration wafer that are positioned in a processing system. The camera is positioned on the robot and is adapted to obtain image data of the calibration wafer disposed in a predefined location within the processing system. The image data is utilized to calibrate the robots motion.

Vision system

Generally a method and apparatus for viewing images within a processing system is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a plate having a camera, transmitter and battery coupled thereto. The plate is adapted to be transported about a semiconductor processing system by a substrate transfer robot thereby allowing images within the system to be viewed remotely from the system. The viewed images may be used for system inspection and calibration of robot position, among other uses.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining whether a substrate is in a clamped or unclamped state on a robot blade and preferably allows the position of a properly clamped substrate to be compensated for misalignments due to substrates not at or very near to their nominal positions on the blade. A sensor unit comprising a radiation source and a detector and capable of transmitting and receiving a signal is mounted outside a transfer chamber and is positioned to direct the signal therein. A robot blade having a reflecting member is actuated through the transfer chamber and into the path of the signal. The reflecting member is preferably positioned on a clamp finger and causes the signal to be reflected to the detector of the sensor unit when the signal is incident on the reflecting member. As the reflecting member moves through the signal the output of the sensor unit switches states, thereby generating values corresponding to the position of the reflecting member. Positional information may be derived from these values by comparison to predetermined, nominal positional information. The substrate is determined to be either unclamped, in which case the system is halted for operator intervention, or clamped. If the substrate is clamped, the derived positional information can be used to make adjustments for deviations from a nominal position due to variations in the diameter of the substrate.

Detection system for substrate clamp

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Gary Wyka