Applied Materials, Inc.

Gregory John Freeman

Ozkan Celik

Patricia A Schulze

Paul Zachary Wirth

Tommaso Vercesi

Adam Christopher Cranmer

Tuan Anh Nguyen

William Tyler Weaver

Jason M Schaller

Robert Brent Vopat

Michael Rohrer

Omar Abdul-hadi

Michael C Kutney

Zhaozhao Zhu

Chih Chung Chou

Marvin L Freeman

Arunkumar Ramachandraiah

An apparatus includes a substrate holder, a first actuator to rotate the substrate holder, a second actuator to move the substrate holder linearly, a first sensor to generate one or more first measurements or images of the substrate, a second sensor to generate one or more second measurements of target positions on the substrate, and a processing device. The processing device estimates a position of the substrate on the substrate holder and causes the first actuator to rotate the substrate holder about a first axis. The rotation causes an offset between a field of view of the second sensor and a target position on the substrate due to the substrate not being centered on the substrate holder. The processing device causes the second actuator to move the substrate holder linearly along a second axis to correct the offset. The processing device determines a profile across a surface of the substrate based on the one or more second measurements of the target positions.

Integrated substrate measurement system

A system includes a robot with a robot arm having multiple joints and an end effector to carry a substrate. A processing device is to build, with respect to a joint space for the multiple joints and the end effector, a graph of reachable positions and sub-paths between the reachable positions, wherein the reachable positions and the sub-paths satisfy Cartesian limits within the joint space. The processing device is to determine, by executing a graph optimization algorithm on the graph, multiple paths, each made up of a group of the sub-paths and having one of a shortest distance or a lowest cost between a start point and an end point of the end effector. The processing device is to select a path, of the multiple paths, through the graph that minimizes a move time of the end effector between the start point and the end point.

Robot joint space graph path planning and move execution

A depth measuring apparatus includes a camera assembly configured to capture a plurality of images of a target at a plurality of distances from the target. The depth measuring apparatus further includes a controller configured to, for each of a plurality of regions within the plurality of images: determine corresponding gradient values within the plurality of images; determine a corresponding maximum gradient value from the corresponding gradient values; and determine, based on the corresponding maximum gradient value, a depth measurement for a region of the plurality of regions.

Methods and apparatus for absolute and relative depth measurements using camera focus distance

A system includes a robot arm with multiple joints and one or more end effector to carry a substrate. A processing device determines, within joint space of the robot arm, start/end points of the one or more end effector for a complete movement. The processing device builds, in joint space for the multiple joints and the one or more end effector, a graph of reachable positions and sub-paths between the reachable positions that satisfy Cartesian limits. The reachable positions are identified at a granularity that divides the complete movement into multiple sub-movements. The processing device executes a graph optimization algorithm on the graph to determine multiple paths, each a group of the sub-paths, that have one of shortest distances or lowest costs between the start/end points, and selects a path thereof that minimizes move time of the one or more end effector between the start/end points.

A depth measuring apparatus includes a camera assembly, a position sensor, and a controller. The camera assembly is configured to capture a plurality of images of a target at a plurality of distances from the target. The position sensor is configured to capture, for each of the plurality of images, corresponding position data associated with a relative distance between the camera assembly and the target. The controller is configured to, for each of a plurality of regions within the plurality of images: determine corresponding gradient values within the plurality of images; determine a corresponding maximum gradient value from the corresponding gradient values; and determine a depth measurement for the region based on the corresponding maximum gradient and the corresponding position data captured for an image from the plurality of images that includes the corresponding maximum gradient.

A method and apparatus for of improving processing results in a processing chamber by orienting a substrate support relative to a surface within the processing chamber. The method comprising orienting a supporting surface of a substrate support in a first orientation relative to an output surface of a showerhead, where the first orientation of the supporting surface relative to the output surface is not coplanar, and depositing a first layer of material on a substrate disposed on the supporting surface that is oriented in the first orientation.

Dynamic leveling process heater lift

A depth measuring apparatus includes (1) a camera and lens assembly that captures image data for a sequence of images of a target including a plurality of depth levels; (2) a motion stage on which the camera and lens assembly or the target is positioned; (3) a motor connected to the motion stage that causes relative movement between the camera and lens assembly and the target at defined incremental values; (4) a position sensor that captures position data on the camera and lens assembly or the target at each of the defined incremental values; and (5) a controller that processes the captured image data and captured position data using an image gradient method and optimal focal distance to determine depths of the plurality of depth levels. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods of correcting positional misalignment of blades in robots, such as dual-bladed robots, are described. The methods include, in one or more embodiments, a robot including moveable arms and an end effector attached to one of the moveable arms, a flag disposed on one of the moveable arms or the end effector, a chamber adapted to be serviced by the end effector, a beam sensor positioned at a distance from the chamber, and correcting misalignment of the end effector wherein the misalignment occurs between an initial linear center-finding location and the estimated center of the chamber. Systems of such electronic device calibration are also disclosed. Numerous other aspects are provided.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Gregory John Freeman