Veeco Precision Surface Processing LLC

Veeco Instruments Inc.

John Taddei

Laura Mauer

John Clark

William Gilbert Breingan

Elena Lawrence

David A Goldberg

James Swallow

Kenji Michael Nulman

Jonathan Yutkowitz

Lev Rapoport

Christopher Orlando

Eric Kurt Zwirnmann

Paul Vit

Chris Hofmeister

Mark Yannuzzi

Ramey Youssef

Phillip Tyler

Ian Cochran

Jonathan Fijal

Nicholas Baverov

George Chiaverini

Jia Li

Christopher Hofmeister

Jim Anders

Tremayne Diggs

Ian Rafter

David Golberg

A system for removing flux from openings formed in a substrate that has openings (e.g., sized 20 microns or less) formed therein includes a spay nozzle device that has a spray nozzle arm that is formed at an angle of about 45 degrees or less for discharging fluid towards the openings in the substrate for flux removal. The angle is between about 30 degrees and 45 degrees.

Apparatus and method for die stack flux removal

A housing of a wafer processing system includes at least one chamber exhaust outlet and at least one chemical exhaust outlet. The chamber exhaust outlet is formed in the housing for venting gas from the interior of the housing and the chemical exhaust outlet is formed in the housing for venting gas that flows along at least one of: (a) a first flow path defined between the splash shield in a raised position and the collection trays in the lowered position; and (b) a second flow path in which the gas flows through the collection chamber to the chemical exhaust outlet.

Semiconductor wafer processing chamber

An apparatus for supporting and maneuvering a wafer comprises a handle having a gas inlet adapted to couple to a gas supply, a supporting surface coupled to the handle section including a frame structure having edge segments connecting at vertices and spoke elements extending from a center of the frame structure to the vertices, a gas supply channel coupled to the gas inlet that extends from the handle and branches into channels that run through the spoke elements, and a plurality of nozzles positioned at the vertices on the supporting surface and coupled to the channels in the spoke elements. Gas provided to the plurality of nozzles exits the nozzles in a stream directed parallel to the supporting surface and the stream of gas generates forces that enable wafers to be securely supported in a floating manner over the supporting surface without coming into direct contact with the supporting surface.

System and method for self-cleaning wet treatment process

A plurality of endpoints in a wet etching process of a substrate are determined. A plurality of benchmark end points during a wet etching process of a first substrate are determined, using first light information represented by a HSV color model for sample locations of the first substrate. Etch parameters are generated for a wet etching process for a second substrate. The generated etch parameters are used with second light information represented by at least one value of the Hue, Saturation, Value color model associated with a plurality of sample locations of the second substrate to reach respective end points during the wet etching process of a second substrate.

Apparatus and method for the minimization of undercut during a UBM etch process

A semiconductor etch process is provided in which an undercut is minimized during an etch process through tight control of etch profile, recognition of etch completion, and minimization of over etch time to increase productivity.

The wafer processing system includes a rotatable wafer support member for supporting a wafer and a plurality of collections trays disposed about a peripheral edge of the wafer support member. The collection trays are arranged in a stacked configuration, each collection tray having an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion that converge to define a trough section for collecting fluid. The system includes a chamber exhaust outlet that is formed in the housing for venting gas from the interior of the housing outside of the collection trays and a chemical exhaust outlet that is formed in the housing for venting gas that flows through the collection chamber to the chemical exhaust outlet. The chemical exhaust outlet is fluidly isolated from the chamber exhaust outlet.

Collection chamber apparatus to separate multiple fluids during the semiconductor wafer processing cycle

A two-level tape frame rinse assembly is configured for grasping the substrate so as to create a gap between the substrate and a backside support plate that allows the backside of the wafer to be rinsed and spun dry after rinsing.

Two-level tape frame rinse assembly

A system and method for performing a wet etching process is disclosed. The system includes multiple processing stations accessible by a transfer device, including a measuring station to optically measure the thickness of a wafer before and after each etching steps in the process. The system also includes a controller to analyze the thickness measurements in view of a target wafer profile and generate an etch recipe, dynamically and in real time, for each etching step. In addition, the process controller can cause a single wafer wet etching station to etch the wafer according to the generated etching recipes. In addition, the system can, based on the pre and post-etch thickness measurements and target etch profile, generate and/or refine the etch recipes.

Two etch method for achieving a wafer thickness profile

A system and method are provided for etching semiconductor wafers (integrated circuit substrates) with advanced packaging using a two-step wet etching process. The first etch step uses an etchant that is non-selective to at least the wafer material (silicon) and metals, such as copper and titanium, that are present in the wafer. The second etch step uses an etchant that is selective to the wafer material (silicon) and has low selectivity for the metals, thereby leaving them at least substantially intact.

Apparatus and method for wafer thinning in advanced packaging applications

An apparatus and method to convert high resistivity (18 MOhm/cm) deionized water into lower resistivity deionized water with a tight resistivity range (150 KOhm/cm+\&#x2212;50 KOhm/cm) without adding metals to the DI. The invention discreetly injects carbon dioxide in an on demand fashion through a metals free fluid path.

Apparatus and method for metals free reduction and control of resistivity of deionized water

An apparatus and method are provided to: determine a unique profile to etch each wafer, execute that etch, and determine and deliver the proper chemical addition in order to maintain etch rate within tight tolerances.

Apparatus and method to control etch rate through adaptive spiking of chemistry

An apparatus and method for controlling fluid discharge temperature on a semiconductor manufacturing tool. In this technique, the temperature is controlled via the use of refrigerative exhaust. This embodiment includes the hardware and controls to perform and monitor the described operation.

Apparatus and method to control properties of fluid discharge via refrigerative exhaust

An apparatus and method for removing post MLO (Material Lift Off) materials from a recycle solvent stream utilize a space efficient design and in a fashion that greatly reduces equipment downtime to maintenance and in a health friendly fashion.

Apparatus and method to remove solids from material lift off post process solvents

An apparatus and method to convert high resistivity (18 MOhm/cm) deionized water into lower resistivity deionized water with a tight resistivity range. The apparatus is diminished in size to require less space, has an improved sensitivity resistivity probe to permit a lower operating range, an increased communication rate with updated control logic to permit holding tighter tolerances. The method is environmentally friendly in that it replaces the use of harsh chemistries and eliminates the generation of hazardous waste.

Apparatus and method to reduce and control resistivity of deionized water

An apparatus and method for mixing fluids with degradational properties are disclosed herein. The present system has been devised to safely and accurately dilute, heat and deliver a degradable fluid while simultaneously removing extraneous vapor, adding capability to monitor the temperature and capability to monitor the concentration of the diluted fluid.

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Jim Thorpe, PA, United States of America

John Taddei