Applied Materials, Inc.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

James D Strassner

Benjamin B Riordon

Ludovic Godet

Charles T Carlson

Yaseer Arafath Ahamed

Kangkang Wang

Aaron Webb

Paul J Murphy

Mark R Amato

William Tyler Weaver

Rami Hourani

Timothy J Miller

Robert Brent Vopat

Wayne McMillan

Jeffrey Charles Blahnik

Karl J Armstrong

Brian Alexander Cohen

Joseph Arthur Kraus

Christopher Neil Grant

Yige Gao

Michael Robert Rice

Julian G Blake

Kasegn D Tekletsadik

D Jeffrey Lischer

Dawei Sun

Paul E Pergande

Lawrence Randolph Gravell

Hillman Bailey

Paul Forderhase

Michael Honan

Michael Rohrer

Angela Rose Sico

Bradley M Pomerleau

Scott A Smith

Tammy Jo Pride

Luigi G Amato

Thinh Nguyen

Dursun Moore

Neal Ricks

Michael A Beck

Michael C Simmons

A substrate carrier and methods of assembling the substrate carrier are described herein. The substrate carrier includes a plurality of vacuum transfer channels to vacuum chuck a bottom of a substrate. The plurality of vacuum transfer channels reduce the radial position of the vacuum to enable vacuum chucking of the substrate from a radially outward vacuum position to an inward vacuum position. The substrate is positioned in a pocket on the substrate carrier. The substrate carrier is a glass material.

Vacuum chucking of a substrate within a carrier

A heater assembly that that is effective at maintaining heating lamps at acceptable temperatures is disclosed. The heater assembly utilizes radiative heat transfer to transfer unwanted heat buildup in the heating lamps to a cooling base. One or more high emissivity films are disposed between the heating lamps and the cooling base to facilitate heat transfer. Further, a reflective coating is applied to a portion of the heating lamps to reflect heat away from the cooling base. The heater assembly may be utilized in a high vacuum environment as it does not rely on convective cooling.

Active cooling of quartz enveloped heaters in vacuum

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to optical devices. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to apparatuses and methods for gripping optical devices. In an embodiment, an apparatus for gripping an optical device includes a base coupled to a proximal end of a stem extending from a bottom surface of the base. The apparatus also includes a plurality of arms movably coupled to the bottom surface of the base. The plurality of arms are coupled to an actuator operable to move the plurality of arms laterally along a X-Y plane parallel to the bottom surface of the base. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a suction pad operable to provide a non-contact vertical suction force.

Apparatuses and methods for handling optical devices of varying geometries

Embodiments of the present disclosure are related to carrier assemblies that can clamp more than one optical device substrates and methods for forming the carrier assemblies. The carrier assembly includes a carrier, one or more substrates, and a mask. The carrier is magnetically coupled to the mask to retain the one or more substrates. The carrier assembly is used for supporting and transporting the one or more substrates during processing. The carrier assembly is also used for masking the one or more substrates during PVD processing. Methods for assembling the carrier assembly in a build chamber are described herein.

Actively clamped carrier assembly for processing tools

An optical device coating assembly is provided. The optical device coating assembly includes a substrate support operable to retain an optical device substrate. The coating assembly further includes a first actuator connected to the substrate support. The first actuator is configured to rotate the substrate support. The coating assembly includes a holder configured to hold a coating applicator against an edge of the optical device substrate when the optical device substrate is rotated on the substrate support and a second actuator operable to apply a force on the holder in a direction towards the substrate support. The second actuator is a constant force actuator.

Edge blackening for optical devices

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to forming multi-depth films for the fabrication of optical devices. One embodiment includes disposing a base layer of a device material on a surface of a substrate. One or more mandrels of the device material are disposed on the base layer. The disposing the one or more mandrels includes positioning a mask over of the base layer. The device material is deposited with the mask positioned over the base layer to form an optical device having the base layer with a base layer depth and the one or more mandrels having a first mandrel depth and a second mandrel depth.

Multi-depth film for optical devices

Embodiments described herein provide for devices and methods for retaining optical devices. The devices and methods described herein provide for retention of the substrate without contacting sensitive portions of the substrate. The devices and methods utilize retention pads or vacuum pins to contact the exclusion zones i.e., inactive areas of the substrate to retain the substrate and prevent the substrate from moving laterally. Additionally, a holding force retains the substrate in the vertical direction, without contacting the substrate. The methods provide for adjusting the devices to account for multiple geometries of the substrate. The methods further provide for adjusting the devices, such as adjusting a gap between the optical device and a suction pad, to alter the holding force of the devices on the optical devices.

Minimal contact gripping of thin optical devices

A system and method of heating a workpiece to a desired temperature is disclosed. This system and method consider the physical limitations of the temperature device, such as time lag, temperature offset, and calibration, in creating a hybrid approach that heats the workpiece more efficiently. First, the workpiece is heated using open loop control to heat the workpiece to a threshold temperature. After the threshold temperature is reach, a closed loop maintenance mode is utilized. In certain embodiments, an open loop maintenance mode is employed between the open loop warmup mode and the closed loop maintenance mode. Additionally, a method of calibrating a pyrometer using a contact thermocouple is also disclosed.

Hybrid control system for workpiece heating

Provided herein are approaches for cooling a process chamber window. In some embodiments, a system for process chamber window cooling may include a process chamber for processing a wafer, wherein the process chamber includes a window. In some embodiments, the window allows light from a lamp assembly to be delivered to the wafer. The system further includes a cooling apparatus operable with the process chamber, the cooling apparatus for delivering a gas to the window. The cooling apparatus includes a support ring supporting the window. The support ring includes a perimeter wall, and a plurality of slots formed through the perimeter wall. The plurality of slots may deliver a gas (e.g., air) across the window.

System and apparatus for process chamber window cooling

Provided herein are approaches for processing reticle blanks. In one approach, a reticle processing system includes a support assembly having a plate coupled to a frame, and a carrier assembly coupled to the support assembly. In one approach, the carrier assembly includes a carrier base coupled to the plate, a reticle disposed over the carrier base, and a carrier shield disposed over the reticle, wherein the carrier shield may include a central opening formed therein, allowing for placement and extraction of the reticle. In one approach, when the carrier assembly is placed atop the support assembly, a plurality of pins extend from the plate through corresponding openings in the carrier base, the plurality of pins supporting the carrier assembly so the carrier base, the reticle, and the carrier shield are each independently supported and vertically separated from one another.

Reticle processing system

Described herein are aligners and methods of aligning workpieces. A workpiece aligner apparatus comprises an aligner chuck including an arm having a first end and a second end, a first edge gripping element on the first end and a second edge gripping element on the second end, the first edge gripping element and the second edge gripping element spaced apart to hold a workpiece at edges thereof, and a central workpiece handling element located in a central region of the arm, wherein the central workpiece handling element has a height such that the central workpiece handling element extends higher than the first edge gripping element and second edge gripping element.

Aligner apparatus and methods

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

James D Strassner