Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

John F Baggett

Neil K Colvin

Joseph Ferrara

Brian Terry

Billy Benoit

Joe Ferrara

Ronald N Reece

Jason R Beringer

Dave Shaner

Petros Miltiades Kopalidis

A workpiece processing system has a cooling chamber enclosing a chamber volume. A workpiece support within the cooling chamber supports a workpiece having a material with an outgassing temperature, above which, the material outgases an outgas material at an outgassing rate that is toxic to personnel. A cooling apparatus selectively cools the workpiece to a predetermined temperature. A vacuum source and purge gas source selectively evacuates and selectively provides a purge gas to the chamber volume. A controller controls the cooling apparatus to cool the workpiece to the predetermined temperature, where the one or more materials are cooled below the outgassing temperature. The vacuum source and purge gas source are controlled to provide a predetermined heat transfer rate while removing the respective outgas material from the chamber volume.

Toxic outgas control post process

A system, method, and apparatus for heating and cooling a component in chamber enclosing a chamber volume. Vacuum and purge gas ports are in fluid communication with the chamber volume. A heater apparatus selectively heats the heated apparatus to a process temperature. A vacuum valve provides selective fluid communication between a vacuum source and the vacuum port. A purge gas valve provides selective fluid communication between a purge gas source for a purge gas and the purge gas port. A controller controls the heater apparatus, vacuum and purge gas valves and to selectively flow the purge gas to the chamber volume when an equipment-safe temperature is reached. When an operator-safe temperature is reached, access to the chamber volume through an access port by an operator is permitted.

Method for decreasing cool down time with heated system for semiconductor manufacturing equipment

A workpiece support has a support surface where one or more standoffs are selectively removably coupled to the support surface. The one or more standoffs are operable to support a workpiece at a predetermined standoff distance from the support surface. A gap may be defined between the support surface and the workpiece. The one or more standoffs may be an electrically insulative film, such as a polyimide film that is selectively removably coupled to the support surface by an adhesive. The workpiece support may be an electrostatic chuck (ESC). Electrodes positioned below the support surface may electrostatically attract the workpiece toward the support, where a gas may be introduced in the gap.

Substrate support having customizable and replaceable features for enhanced backside contamination performance

A workpiece processing system and method provides an end effector coupled to a workpiece transfer apparatus. The end effector has support members for selectively contacting and supporting a workpiece. One or more temperature sensors are coupled to the support members and are configured to contact a backside of the workpiece to measure and define one or more measured temperatures of the workpiece. A heated chuck has a support surface at a predetermined temperature, and is configured to radiate heat from the support surface. A controller control the workpiece transfer apparatus to selectively support the workpiece at a predetermined distance from the support surface of the heated chuck to radiatively heat the workpiece, and to selectively transfer the workpiece from the end effector to the support surface of the heated chuck based, at least in part, on the one or more measured temperatures.

Wafer soak temperature readback and control via thermocouple embedded end effector for semiconductor processing equipment

A thermal chuck selectively retains a workpiece on a clamping surface. The thermal chuck has one or more heaters to selectively heat the clamping surface and the workpiece. A thermal monitoring device determines a temperature of a surface of the workpiece when the workpiece resides on the clamping surface, defining one or more measured temperatures. A controller selectively energizes the one or more heaters based on the one or more measured temperatures. The thermal monitoring device may be one or more of a thermocouple or RTD in selective contact with the surface of the workpiece and an emissivity sensor or pyrometer not in contact with the surface. The thermal chuck can be part of an ion implantation system configured to implant ions into the workpiece. The controller can be further configured to control the heaters based on the measured temperatures.

In-situ wafer temperature measurement and control

A workpiece processing system and method comprises transferring a workpiece to a vacuum chamber. A heated chuck is configured to selectively clamp a workpiece to a clamping surface thereof, wherein the heated chuck is configured to selectively heat the clamping surface. A workpiece transfer apparatus has an end effector configured to transfer the workpiece to the heated chuck, wherein the workpiece rests on the end effector. A controller selectively position the workpiece with respect to the heated chuck via a control of the workpiece transfer apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to position the workpiece at a predetermined distance from the clamping surface, wherein the predetermined distance generally determines an amount of radiation received by the workpiece from the heated chuck, and wherein the controller is further configured to place the workpiece on the surface of the heated chuck via a control of the workpiece transfer apparatus.

Radiant heating presoak

A workpiece alignment system is provided has a light emission apparatus that directs a light beam at a plurality of wavelengths along a path at a shallow angle toward a first side of a workpiece plane at a peripheral region. A light receiver apparatus, receives the light beam on a second side opposite the first side. A rotation device selectively rotates a workpiece support. According controller determines a position of the workpiece based on an amount of the light beam received through the workpiece when the workpiece intersects the path. A sensitivity of the light receiver apparatus is controlled based on a transmissivity of the workpiece. A position of the workpiece is determined when the workpiece is rotated based on the rotational position, an amount of the light beam received, the transmissivity of the workpiece, detection of a workpiece edge, and the controlled sensitivity of the light receiver apparatus.

Shallow angle, multi-wavelength, multi-receiver, adjustable sensitivity aligner sensor for semiconductor manufacturing equipment

A workpiece processing system has a chamber with one or more chamber walls defining surfaces enclosing a chamber volume. One or more chamber wall heaters selectively heat the chamber walls to a chamber wall temperature. A workpiece support within the chamber selectively supports a workpiece having one or more materials having a respective condensation temperature, above which, the one or more materials are respectively in a gaseous state. A heater apparatus selectively heats the workpiece to a predetermined temperature. A controller heats the workpiece to the predetermined temperature by controlling the heater apparatus, heating the one or more materials to respectively form one or more outgassed materials within the chamber volume. The controller further controls the chamber wall temperature by controlling the chamber wall heaters, where the chamber wall temperature is greater than a condensation temperature of the outgassed materials, preventing condensation of the outgassed material on the chamber surfaces.

Reduction of condensed gases on chamber walls via heated chamber housing for semiconductor processing equipment

An insulator for an ion source is positioned between the apertured ground electrode and apertured suppression electrode. The insulator has an elongate body having a first end and a second end, where one or more features are defined in the elongate body and increase a gas conductance path along a surface of the elongate body from the first end to the second end. One or more of the features is an undercut extending generally axially or at a non-zero angle from an axis of the elongate body into the elongate body. One of the features can be a rib extending from a radius of the elongate body.

Low conductance self-shielding insulator for ion implantation systems

A workpiece processing system, has a process chamber coupled to an outgassing chamber. An outgassing chamber valve selectively isolates a processing environment from an outgassing environment defined within the respective process and outgassing chambers. A heater selectively heats the workpiece on a workpiece support in the outgassing chamber to a first predetermined temperature. A vacuum source selectively depressurizes the outgassing chamber to a first predetermined pressure. A workpiece transfer apparatus selectively transfers the workpiece between the outgassing and process chambers. A controller isolates the workpiece in the outgassing chamber by the outgassing chamber valve and is configured to concurrently heat the workpiece to the first predetermined temperature and depressurize the outgassing chamber to the first predetermined pressure by the respective heater and vacuum source. The workpiece is maintained at the first predetermined temperature and the first predetermined pressure for a first period of time associated with a predetermined outgassing threshold.

Outgassing impact on process chamber reduction via chamber pump and purge

A system and method is provided maintaining a temperature of a workpiece during an implantation of ions in an ion implantation system, where the ion implantation system is characterized with a predetermined set of parameters. A heated chuck is provided at a first temperature and heats the workpiece to the first temperature. Ions are implanted into the workpiece concurrent with the heating, and thermal energy is imparted into the workpiece by the ion implantation. A desired temperature of the workpiece is maintained within a desired accuracy during the implantation of ions by selectively heating the workpiece on the heated chuck to a second temperature. The desired temperature is maintained based, at least in part, on the characterization of the ion implantation system. Thermal energy imparted into the workpiece from the implantation is mitigated by the selective heating of the workpiece on the heated chuck at the second temperature.

Wafer temperature control with consideration to beam power input

A workpiece alignment system has a workpiece support to support a workpiece. A first light emitter directs a first light beam toward the workpiece. A first light receiver receives the first light beam. A rotation device rotates the workpiece support about a support axis. A second light emitter directs a second light beam toward a peripheral region of the workpiece. A second light receiver receives the second light beam concurrent with the rotation of the workpiece. A controller determines a transmissivity of the workpiece based on a total initial emittance of the first light beam a transmission of the first light beam through the workpiece. The controller determines a position of the workpiece with respect to the support axis based, at least in part, on a rotational position of the workpiece, a portion of the second light beam received, and the determined transmissivity.

Integrated emissivity sensor alignment characterization

An ion source filament clamp has a clamp member having first and second ends. The first end has one of a cam surface and a cam follower, and has first and second portions that are opposed to one another and separated by a slot having a lead opening defined therein to receive a lead of an ion source filament. An actuator pin extends along an actuator pin axis and has first and second sections. The first section is coupled to the first portion of the clamp member. The actuator pin extends through, and is in sliding engagement with, a thru-hole in the second portion of the clamp member. A cam member is operably coupled to the second section of the actuator pin. The cam member has a handle and the other of the cam surface and cam follower and is configured to rotate between a clamped position and an unclamped position. The cam follower slidingly contacts the cam surface. In the clamped position, the cam follower engages the cam surface in a first predetermined manner, thus selectively compressing the first and second portions of the clamp member toward one another and exerting a clamping pressure on the lead within the lead opening while inducing a spring tension between the first and second portions of the clamp member. In the unclamped position, the cam follower engages the cam surface in a second predetermined manner, wherein the spring tension extends the first and second portions of the clamp member apart from one another, therein releasing the clamping pressure on the lead within the lead opening.

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Georgetown, MA, United States of America

John F Baggett