Applied Materials, Inc.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Jason M Schaller

Robert Brent Vopat

William Tyler Weaver

Charles T Carlson

David T Blahnik

Benjamin B Riordon

Morgan Evans

Malcolm N Daniel, Jr

Luke W Bonecutter

Jeffrey Charles Blahnik

Ala Moradian

Tuan Anh Nguyen

Paul E Pergande

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Joseph Yudovsky

D Jeffrey Lischer

Michael Carrell

Paul Zachary Wirth

Robert J Mitchell

Jacob Newman

Andrew J Constant

Aaron Webb

Karuppasamy Muthukamatchi

Marvin L Freeman

Jeff Hudgens

Michael Rohrer

Amit Kumar Bansal

Karl M Brown

Jay D Pinson, Ii

Swaminathan T Srinivasan

Rajkumar Thanu

Khokan Chandra Paul

Klaus Petry

Gregory John Freeman

Dinesh Kanawade

Steve S Hongkham

Stephen Hickerson

Jun Ma

Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez

Sanjeev Baluja

Kallol Bera

Bon-Woong Koo

Julian G Blake

Svetlana Radovanov

Timothy Joseph Franklin

Eric D Hermanson

Damon Keith Cox

Dmitry A Dzilno

Edward P Hammond

Kevin M Daniels

Tejas Ulavi

Jeffrey Allen Brodine

Kim Ramkumar Vellore

Kevin R Anglin

Juan Carlos Rocha

Richard M White

Gregory Thronson

Hanish Kumar Panavalappil Kumarankutty

Paul Forderhase

Gary Wyka

Rupankar Choudhury

Yizhen Zhang

Mitchell DiSanto

Krag R Senior

James R McLane

Ramesh Bokka

Siva Chandrasekar

Venkata Raghavaiah Chowdhary Kode

James W Blanchette

Victor Flores Iracheta

Chris Czajka

Kevin Verrier

An ion implantation system including an ion source for generating an ion beam, an end station for holding a substrate to be implanted by the ion beam, and a linear accelerator disposed between the ion source and the end station and adapted to accelerate the ion beam, the linear accelerator comprising at least one acceleration stage including a resonator coil coupled to a drift tube assembly, the drift tube assembly including a first drift tube coupled to a first end of a first insulting rod via interference fit, a second drift tube coupled to a first end of a second insulting rod via interference fit, and a mounting bracket coupled to a second end of the first insulting rod and to a second end of the second insulting rod via interference fit.

Method of assembling drift tube assemblies in ion implantors

An ion implantation system including an ion source for generating an ion beam, an end station containing a platen for supporting a substrate to be implanted by the ion beam, and a load lock disposed adjacent the end station and adapted to transfer substrates between an external environment and the end station. The load lock may include a transfer chamber having a hollow interior, a first isolation door affixed to a first side of the transfer chamber and openable to the external environment, a second isolation door affixed to a second side of the transfer chamber and openable to an interior of the end station, and a volume filling cassette disposed within the hollow interior of the transfer chamber and adapted to hold at least one substrate.

Volume filling cassette for load lock

A system for transferring semiconductor workpieces from a load lock to an orientation station and onto a platen is disclosed. The system comprises two load locks, a multi-workpiece orientation station, two multi-pick robots that transfer a plurality of workpieces between a respective load lock and the multi-workpiece orientation station, and two backend robots that transfer individual workpieces between the multi-workpiece orientation station and the platen.

Workpiece handling architecture for high workpiece throughput

A system for transferring semiconductor workpieces from a load lock to an orientation station and on to a platen is disclosed. The system comprises two load locks, two robots, and one orientation station. Each robot is associated with a respective load lock and follows a fixed sequence. The robot returns a processed workpiece to the load lock and also removes an unprocessed workpiece. The robot then moved to the orientation station, where it removes an aligned workpiece from the orientation station and deposits the unprocessed workpiece on the orientation station. Next, the robot moves to the platen, where it removes a processed workpiece and deposits the aligned workpiece. The robot then returns to the load lock and repeats this sequence.

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a transfer region housing defining a transfer region fluidly coupled with a plurality of processing regions. A sidewall of the transfer region housing may define a sealable access for providing and receiving substrates. The systems may include a plurality of substrate supports disposed within the transfer region. The systems may also include a transfer apparatus having a central hub including a first shaft and a second shaft counter-rotatable with the first shaft. The transfer apparatus may include an eccentric hub extending at least partially through the central hub, and which is radially offset from a central axis of the central hub. The transfer apparatus may also include an end effector coupled with the eccentric hub. The end effector may include a plurality of arms having a number of arms equal to the number of substrate supports of the plurality of substrate supports.

Robot for simultaneous substrate transfer

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a factory interface and a load lock coupled with the factory interface. The systems may include a transfer chamber coupled with the load lock. The transfer chamber may include a robot configured to retrieve substrates from the load lock. The systems may include a chamber system positioned adjacent and coupled with the transfer chamber. The chamber system may include a transfer region laterally accessible to the robot. The transfer region may include a plurality of substrate supports disposed about the transfer region. Each substrate support of the plurality of substrate supports may be vertically translatable. The transfer region may also include a transfer apparatus rotatable about a central axis and configured to engage substrates and transfer substrates among the plurality of substrate supports. The chamber system may also include a plurality of processing regions vertically offset and axially aligned with an associated substrate support.

High-density substrate processing systems and methods

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a transfer region housing defining an internal volume. A sidewall of the transfer region housing may define a sealable access for providing and receiving substrates. The systems may include a plurality of substrate supports disposed within the transfer region. The systems may also include a transfer apparatus having a central hub including a first shaft and a second shaft concentric with and counter-rotatable to the first shaft. The transfer apparatus may include a first end effector coupled with the first shaft. The first end effector may include a plurality of first arms. The transfer apparatus may also include a second end effector coupled with the second shaft. The second end effector may include a plurality of second arms having a number of second arms equal to the number of first arms of the first end effector.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to process chambers with coaxial lift devices. In some embodiments, the device comprises both a bottom bowl lift and a pedestal lift. The bottom bowl lift supports a bottom bowl and is configured to move the bottom bowl into a position that reduces the process volume. The bottom bowl lift is co-axial with the pedestal lift and the bottom bowl lift and the pedestal lift are attached for vacuum operation. The pedestal lift includes multiple actuators to create a dynamic lift mechanism. Both systems complete a nested system such that the bottom bowl lift is adjustable and can close the bottom bowl creating a symmetric and small process volume. The pedestal lift can move independently to its process position and tilt in a desired direction without interference with the bottom bowl lift, increasing film uniformity on a processed substrate.

Coaxial lift device with dynamic leveling

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a transfer region housing defining a transfer region fluidly coupled with a plurality of processing regions. A sidewall of the transfer region housing may define a sealable access for providing and receiving substrates. The systems may include a transfer apparatus having a central hub including a shaft extending at a distal end through the transfer region housing into the transfer region. The transfer apparatus may include a lateral translation apparatus coupled with an exterior surface of the transfer region housing, and configured to provide at least one direction of lateral movement of the shaft. The systems may also include an end effector coupled with the shaft within the transfer region. The end effector may include a plurality of arms having a number of arms equal to a number of substrate supports of the plurality of substrate supports in the transfer region.

Embodiments described herein relate to a precision dynamic leveling mechanism for repeatedly positioning the pedestal within a process. The precision dynamic leveling mechanism includes bearing assemblies. Bearing assemblies having inner races forced against a pedestal assembly carrier and outer races forced against a guide adaptor provide nominal clearance between the inner races and outer races to allow the inner races and the outer races to slide on each other with minimal or no radial motion.

Precision dynamic leveling mechanism with long motion capability

Embodiments described herein relate to ground path systems providing a shorter and symmetrical path for radio frequency (RF) energy to propagate to a ground to reduce generation of the parasitic plasma. The ground path system bifurcates the processing volume of the chamber to form an inner volume that isolates an outer volume of the processing volume.

Ground path systems for providing a shorter and symmetrical ground path

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a transfer region housing defining a transfer region, and including substrate supports and a transfer apparatus. The transfer apparatus may include a central hub having a housing, and including a first shaft and a second shaft. The housing may be coupled with the second shaft, and may define an internal housing volume. The transfer apparatus may include a plurality of arms equal to a number of substrate supports of the plurality of substrate supports. Each arm of the plurality of arms may be coupled about an exterior of the housing. The transfer apparatus may include a plurality of arm hubs disposed within the internal housing volume. Each arm hub of the plurality of arm hubs may be coupled with an arm of the plurality of arms through the housing. The arm hubs may be coupled with the first shaft of the central hub.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Jason M Schaller