Applied Materials, Inc.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Jeffrey Charles Blahnik

Robert Brent Vopat

William Tyler Weaver

Jason M Schaller

Charles T Carlson

Joseph Yudovsky

Robert J Mitchell

Malcolm N Daniel, Jr

David T Blahnik

James D Strassner

Michael Honan

Kallol Bera

Amit Kumar Bansal

Benjamin B Riordon

Timothy Joseph Franklin

Eric D Hermanson

Jacob Newman

Steven M Anella

Kim Ramkumar Vellore

Andrew J Constant

Aaron Webb

James Paul Buonodono

Michael Rohrer

Apparatus and methods to process one or more wafers are described. The apparatus comprises a chamber defining an upper interior region and a lower interior region. A heater assembly is on the bottom of the chamber body in the lower interior region and defines a process region. A wafer cassette assembly is inside the heater assembly and a motor is configured to move the wafer cassette assembly from the lower process region inside the heater assembly to the upper interior region.

Processing chamber with annealing mini-environment

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

Apparatuses for annealing semiconductor substrates, such as a batch processing chamber, are provided herein. The batch processing chamber includes a chamber body enclosing an internal volume, a cassette moveably disposed within the internal volume and a plug coupled to a bottom wall of the cassette. The chamber body has a hole through a bottom wall of the chamber body and is interfaced with one or more heaters operable to maintain the chamber body at a temperature of greater than 290&#xb0; C. The cassette is configured to be raised to load a plurality of substrates thereon and lowered to seal the internal volume. The plug is configured to move up and down within the internal volume. The plug includes a downward-facing seal configured to engage with a top surface of the bottom wall of the chamber body and close the hole through the bottom wall of the chamber body.

High pressure steam anneal processing apparatus

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

Various embodiments of wafer processing systems including batch load lock apparatus with temperature control capability are disclosed. The batch load lock apparatus includes a load lock body including first and second load lock openings, a lift assembly within the load lock body, the lift assembly including multiple wafer stations, each of the multiple wafer stations adapted to provide access to wafers through the first and second load lock openings, wherein the batch load lock apparatus includes temperature control capability (e.g., heating or cooling). Batch load lock apparatus is capable of transferring batches of wafers into and out of various processing chambers. Methods of operating the batch load lock apparatus are also provided, as are numerous other aspects.

Wafer processing systems including multi-position batch load lock apparatus with temperature control capability

Apparatus and methods for rotating wafers during processing include a wafer rotation assembly with a support fixture connected to a shaft and a wafer transfer assembly with a robot blade with an opening therethrough, the opening sized to allow the support surface of the support fixture to pass through the opening. A first actuator is connected to the wafer rotation assembly to rotate the support fixture assembly about an axis of the shaft. A second actuator is connected to the wafer rotation assembly to move the support fixture assembly a stroke distance along the axis of the shaft. Process kits including the wafer rotation assemblies and robot blades with openings can used to retrofit existing mainframe processing chambers.

Apparatus and methods for wafer rotation to improve spatial ALD process uniformity

Embodiments of multi-substrate thermal management apparatus are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-substrate thermal management apparatus includes a plurality of plates vertically arranged above one another; a plurality of channels extending through each of the plurality of plates; a supply manifold including a supply channel coupled to the plurality of plates at first locations; and a return manifold including a return channel coupled to the plurality of plates via a plurality of legs at second locations, wherein the supply and return channels are fluidly coupled to the plurality of channels to flow a heat transfer fluid through the plurality of plates.

Multi-substrate thermal management apparatus

An ion implantation apparatus including an enclosure defining a process chamber, a carriage slidably mounted on a shaft within the process chamber and coupled to a drive mechanism adapted to selectively move the carriage along the shaft. A platen assembly can be coupled to the carriage, and a linkage conduit can extend between a side wall of the enclosure and the carriage. The linkage conduit can include a plurality of pivotably interconnected linkage members that define a contiguous internal volume that is sealed from the process chamber. The contiguous volume can be held at a desired vacuum pressure separate from the vacuum environment of the process chamber.

Linkage conduit for vacuum chamber applications

Various embodiments of batch load lock apparatus are disclosed. The batch load lock apparatus includes a load lock body including first and second load lock openings, a lift assembly within the load lock body, the lift assembly including multiple wafer stations, each of the multiple wafer stations adapted to provide access to wafers through the first and second load lock openings, wherein the batch load lock apparatus includes temperature control capability (e.g., heating or cooling). Batch load lock apparatus is capable of transferring batches of wafers into and out of various processing chambers. Systems including the batch load lock apparatus and methods of operating the batch load lock apparatus are also provided, as are numerous other aspects.

Multi-position batch load lock apparatus and systems and methods including same

An apparatus for dynamically adjusting the pitch between substrates in a substrate stack comprises first and second lift portions. The first lift portion supports a first group of the plurality of substrates, and the second lift portion supports a second group of the plurality of substrates. The first and second lift portions are operable to move the first and second groups of substrates in a first direction independently from each other. This independent movement enables the pitch, or spacing, between adjacent substrates to be dynamically adjusted so that an end effector of a robot can be positioned between such adjacent substrates to pick one of the substrates without inadvertently engaging another substrate that is not being picked. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Dynamic pitch substrate lift

A load lock having a reduced volume, thereby allowing faster pumping and venting, is disclosed. The load lock uses a movable bottom wall to modify the volume of the chamber to be pumped. In a first position, the movable wall is disposed so as to create a small internal volume. In a second position, the bottom wall is moved downward, allowing the workpiece to be in contact with a process chamber or an exit aperture. The bottom wall may be sealed in the first position through the use of a sealing mechanism, such as a magnetic clamp. The bottom wall may also include a workpiece holding mechanism. The top wall may be a removable cover, which is moved by an actuator. A robotic mechanism may supply workpieces to the load lock while the top wall is in the open position.

High throughput, low volume clamshell load lock

An ion source includes arc chamber housing defining an arc chamber. The arc chamber housing has an extraction plate in a fixed position, and the extraction plate defines a plurality of extraction apertures. The ion source also includes a shutter assembly positioned outside of the arc chamber proximate the extraction plate. The shutter assembly is configured to block at least a portion of one of the plurality of extraction apertures during one time interval. The ion source combined with relative movement of a workpiece to be treated with an ion beam extracted from the ion source enables a two dimensional ion implantation pattern to be formed on the workpiece using only one ion source.

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Leander, TX, United States of America

Jeffrey Charles Blahnik