Intevac, Inc.

Varian Associates, Inc.

John L Hughes

Eric C Lawson

Terry Bluck

George L Coad

Carl T Petersen, Iii

Tatsuru Tanaka

Robert E Weiss

Robert J Kolenkow

Gary A Davis

Norman H Pond

Thomas E Shula

Carlos E Rodriguez

Richard E Lavine

Benjamin M DeKoven

A substrate processing system includes a primary processing assembly and secondary processing assembly. The secondary processing assembly has one or more interconnected modules and includes one or more process stations. The primary and secondary processing assemblies are connected by a vacuum conveyor, so that the substrates remain in vacuum during transport. The secondary processing assembly may include one or more modules which are interconnected to provide a desired system configuration. A dual processing module, including first and second process stations, is selectably operable in a serial mode or a parallel mode.

Substrate processing system

Disclosed is a system for transporting disks in vacuum to a vacuum station whereat a lubricant film is applied uniformly to the surfaces of the disks by evaporation. Thickness uniformity is achieved by directing the evaporate through a multi-hole aperture plate. Described is equipment for manufacture, the process of manufacture and the novel disks created.

Hard disk vapor lube

A magnetron sputtering source for depositing a material onto a substrate includes a target from which the material is sputtered, a magnet assembly disposed in proximity to the target for confining a plasma at the surface of the target and a drive assembly for scanning the magnet assembly relative to the target. The sputtering source may further include an anode for maintaining substantially constant plasma characteristics as the magnet assembly is scanned relative to the target. The anode may be implemented as variable voltage stationary electrodes positioned at or near the opposite ends of the scan path followed by the magnet assembly, spaced-apart anode wires positioned between the target and the substrate or a movable anode that is scanned with the magnet assembly. The magnet elements of the magnet assembly may have different spacings from the surface of the target to enhance depositional thickness uniformity. The target may be fabricated in sections, each having a target element bonded to a backing element for reduced sensitivity to thermal variations. The target may be rotated from a first fixed position to a second fixed position relative to the magnet assembly at least once during its operating life for increased target utilization.

Methods and apparatus for linear scan magnetron sputtering

A vacuum processing system for handling and processing rectangular glass panels for flat panel displays has a cluster configuration. The system includes a central buffer chamber, with multiple processing chambers, a load lock and an unload lock positioned around the buffer chamber and coupled to the buffer chamber through gate valves. The buffer chamber contains a turntable that is rotatable about a vertical axis. The system further includes substrate carriers, each for supporting a substrate in a vertical orientation as it is transported through the system and is processed. The turntable has dual substrate carrier positions for rotating substrate carriers into alignment with a selected processing chamber, the load lock or the unload lock. Multiple substrates can be handled and processed concurrently to achieve a high throughput rate. The system is typically used for sputter deposition of ITO films and metal films on the glass substrate.

Substrate handling and processing system for flat panel displays

This invention relates to a system for handling and processing thin substrates, such as substrates for magnetic disks. The system includes a main chamber, entrance and output load locks, a buffer chamber, substrate load/unload structure, and a plurality of substrate processing stations positioned contiguous with the main vacuum chamber. The system further includes a transport for moving a plurality of cassettes carrying vertically oriented substrates into the entrance load lock, to the buffer chamber where the substrates are transferred into the main chamber, and to the output load lock where processed substrates are placed back in the cassettes. The substrates are transferred to and from the cassettes to and from the substrate load/unload structure by way of dedicated lift blades. The system further employs a simple three-step transfer of the substrates from processing station to processing station which greatly increases the throughput potential compared to prior art systems which rely on complex substrate handling and transfer.

Substrate handling and processing system

A method and apparatus are disclosed using a combination of convection and conduction cooling to cool an article in an evacuated environment. A processing chamber is used which includes at least one heat sink. A flat surface of the article to be cooled is positioned within the chamber in a spaced apart facing parallel relationship to a facing surface of the heat sink. High conductivity gases are admitted into the chamber to accomplish cooling of the article.

System for substrate cooling in an evacuated environment

A system for handling and processing thin substrates, such as substrates for magnetic disks. The system includes a main chamber, entrance and output load locks, a buffer chamber, substrate load/unload mechanism, and a plurality of substrate processing stations positioned contiguous with the main vacuum chamber. The system further includes a transport for moving a plurality of cassettes carrying vertically oriented substrates into the entrance load lock, to the buffer chamber where the substrates are transferred into the main chamber, and to the output load lock where processed substrates are placed back in the cassettes. The substrates are transferred to and from the cassettes to and from the substrate load/unload mechanism by means of dedicated lift blades. The system further employs a simple three-step transfer of the substrates from processing station to processing station which greatly increases the throughput potential compared to prior art systems which rely on complex substrate handling and transfer.

Sputter coating source in which the target is mounted directly on the front side of the cathode and coolant is circulated on the back side of the cathode. The coolant does not contact the target, and the target is clamped tightly to the cathode by retainers which permit it to be removed and replaced easily without leakage of coolant.

Sputter coating source

A dual track substrate handling and processing system includes an entrance load lock station, an exit load lock station and a plurality of substrate processing stations, all positioned above a transfer vacuum chamber. The load lock station and each processing station are configured to hold two vertically oriented workpieces. A transport system conveys workpieces two at a time from parallel input cassettes to the entrance load lock station. The transport system includes a transport assembly that simultaneously advances two workpieces from each station to the next station; thus workpieces are processed two at a time in the same environment in each processing station and system throughput is correspondingly increased.

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Rodeo, CA, United States of America

John L Hughes