Lam Research Corporation

Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Veeco Instruments Inc.

Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Inc.

George R Koch

Douglas K Masnaghetti

Carl T Petersen, Iii

Michael Krolak

James Daniel Olson

Jeffery Scott Coffer

Michael R Biche

Norman Williams

without substantially touching the surface, having annular rings forming annular orifices, one of the rings forming an air bearing portion and having passages through which a flow of a gas can be established in a first direction, where the flow of the gas is sufficient to create a cushion of air between the puck and the surface, and at least some of the orifices for drawing vacuums through the orifices in a second direction opposite to the first direction against the surface.

Chamberless substrate handling

An SEM wherein the entire imaging apparatus of the SEM is supported on air bearings. A multi-stage differentially pumped vacuum seal area provides a localized vacuum zone for wafer examination. A wafer leveling mechanism insures that the top surface of the wafer being examined is placed and maintained in a position level with the surface upon which the air bearing supported SEM rests. The SEM can move on its air bearings such that any portion of the wafer can be examined. A voltage-isolating passageway for providing high voltage isolation between a component maintained at high DC voltage and a component maintained at a substantially lower voltage is described. The voltage-isolating passageway incorporates a transverse magnetic field across its passageway. The voltage-isolating passageway includes at least two magnets that are positioned along opposite and exterior surfaces of the passageway. A semi-conductive coating can be applied to the interior passageway surface.

Transverse magnetic field voltage isolator

An embodiment of the present invention comprises a SEM wherein the entire imaging apparatus of the SEM is supported on air bearings. A multi-stage differentially pumped vacuum seal area provides a localized vacuum zone for wafer examination. A wafer leveling mechanism insures that the top surface of the wafer being examined is place and maintained in a position level with the surface upon which the air bearing supported SEM rests. In use, wafers being examined are loaded into the wafer leveling mechanism, which places and then holds their top surface flush with an examination table. The SEM is then moved on its air bearings and placed in appropriate position over the wafer. Any portion of the wafer can be examined simply by moving the SEM column in the appropriate direction.

Scanning electron microscope architecture and related material handling system

A mobile transport unit for independently operating within an enclosed environment. The transport unit is adapted for carrying a robotic manipulator arm and cargo within the environment, and includes an infrared communications transmitter/receiver for communicating with an extra-vehicular central processing unit. The transport unit includes electric motors for driving and for steering the unit. A laser docking module precisely determines the vehicle's location relative to a fixed point within the environment. Ultrasonic sensors placed about the vehicle can detect objects within a preselected range for collision avoidance and safety purposes. The vehicle is controlled by a central computer which receives inputs from the infrared communications system and from on-board sensors including directional sensors, distance measuring sensors, a gyroscope, the ultrasonic sensors, and the docking module. The on-board computer directs the vehicle and the robotic arm based on information received from these inputs, and allows for the continuous operation of the vehicle without recalibration. Power is supplied to the vehicle by an on-board battery pack, and the vehicle is enclosed by a protective skin for reasons of cleanliness and safety, and to prevent turbulent airflow around the wafer cassettes and the robotic arm.

Self-contained mobile reprogrammable automation device

A loadlock apparatus for a workpiece processing chamber such as those incorporated in vacuum processing systems. The apparatus includes an isolation chamber having evacuation apertures and workpiece transfer apertures with independently operable doors for closing and sealing the workpiece transfer apertures and an independent operable workpiece transfer mechanism. The doors and workpiece transfer mechanisms may be contained within the isolation chamber and the chamber may be closed and sealed while containing a workpiece. The door and workpiece transfer mechanisms may be adapted such that they are not positioned over the workpiece, thereby reducing the possibility of workpiece particulate contamination. The preferred embodiment of the workpiece transfer mechanism moves a workpiece through the isolation chamber along a path which is essentially a straight line. An alternative embodiment of this transfer mechanism permits positioning the workpiece at any point lying on or within a circular radius of a fixed point within the isolation chamber. This alternative embodiment can further move the workpiece to any such point along an arbitrarily chosen planar path lying within this positioning circle.

Workpiece transfer mechanism

Modular loadlock

A screen lens array system including a lens cover plate or top plate and a screen lens array or bottom plate for use in a parallel charged particle beam exposure system is disclosed. The screen lens array, which comprises a pair of lens plates mutually aligned with respect to one another, breaks up a flood beam of charged particles into a multiplicity of beams in parallel and focuses them onto a substrate target surface. The charged particle flood beam impinges the smaller apertures, of the upper lens plate, which serve as apertures to control image aberrations. The larger set of apertures, of the lower lens plate, are influenced by the electric field between the screen lens array and the target surface to form the embodiment of most of the lens action. Mounted above and displaced from the screen lens array is the lens cover plate which also contains an array of apertures. By imparting a linear, mechanical motion to the top plate, it selectively controls, i.e., masks, the passage of the flood beam through certain, but not all, of the apertures of the bottom plate and, therefore, onto the target surface.

Screen lens array system

A plasma processing chamber incorporating parallel plate electrodes whose separation may be mechanically adjusted from the outside thereof. The chamber includes a sealable assembly including an electrode housing and a reaction chamber body. The body includes an aperture to receive a planar surfaced terminal end of the housing. The aperture is constructed to permit the housing to be easily translated with respect to the body. One electrode surface of the chamber is established on the end of the housing thus received. The other electrode is provided by a corresponding surface within the body. Entry of atmospheric gases into the space between the electrode's surfaces is barred by a sliding, dual, differentially pumped seal between the housing's surface and the aperture's surface. Also incorporated into the processing chamber are four jackscrews aligned parallel to the axis of the housing. These jackscrews, arranged to form a square about the housing, are interposed between the body and a flange projecting radially outward from the housing's terminal end furthest from the body. Synchronous rotation of these jackscrews, provided by a continuous, closed chain passing around sprockets secured to each of the jackscrews, moves the housing with respect to the body thereby altering the electrode's separation. A potentiometer, also driven in synchronism with the jackscrews, permits remote, electronic sensing of electrode spacing.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

George R Koch