Lam Research Corporation

Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Jon McChesney

Alex Paterson

Alexander Miller Paterson

Saravanapriyan Sriraman

John Patrick Holland

Damon Tyrone Genetti

Derek Witkowicki

Austin Ngo

John Stephen Drewery

Richard A Marsh

Haoquan Yan

Hiran Rajitha Rathnasinghe

Michael S Barnes

Hong Shih

Saurabh J Ullal

Tuochuan Huang

Robert G O'Neill

Yan Fang

Raphael Casaes

Rajinder Dhindsa

Andrew D Bailey, Iii

Shamouil Shamouilian

Valentin Nikolov Todorow

Eric A Pape

Dennis Stanley Grimard

Alexander M Veytser

David Palagashvili

Yuhou Wang

Valentin N Todorov

Ricky Marsh

Kwok Manus Wong

Gerhard M Schneider

Liang-Guo Wang

Marcus Musselman

Theo Panagopoulos

Michael John Martin

Marc Estoque

Ali Sucipto Tan

Bobby Kadkhodayan

Craig Blair

Shawn Tokairin

Shawn E S Tokairin

A bottom ring is configured to support a moveable edge ring. The edge ring is configured to be raised and lowered relative to a substrate support. The bottom ring includes an upper surface that is stepped, an annular inner diameter, an annular outer diameter, a lower surface, and a plurality of vertical guide channels provided through the bottom ring from the lower surface to the upper surface of the bottom ring. Each of the guide channels includes a first region having a smaller diameter than the guide channel, and the guide channels are configured to receive respective lift pins for raising and lowering the edge ring.

Bottom and middle edge rings

An edge ring is configured to be raised and lowered relative to a substrate support, via one or more lift pins, in a substrate processing system. The edge ring is further configured to interface with a guide feature extending upward from a bottom ring and/or a middle ring of the substrate support during tuning of the edge ring. The edge ring includes an upper surface, an annular inner diameter, an annular outer diameter, a lower surface, and an annular groove arranged in the lower surface of the edge ring to interface with the guide feature. Walls of the annular groove are substantially vertical.

Moveable edge ring designs

A middle ring configured to be arranged on a bottom ring and to support a moveable edge ring and further configured to be raised and lowered relative to a substrate support includes an upper surface that is stepped, an annular inner diameter, an annular outer diameter, a lower surface, a guide feature in the upper surface defining the annular outer diameter, an inner annular rim in the upper surface defining the annular inner diameter, and a groove defined in the upper surface between the guide feature and the inner annular rim.

An edge ring arrangement for a processing chamber includes a first ring configured to surround and overlap a radially outer edge of an upper plate of a pedestal arranged in the processing chamber, a second ring arranged below the first moveable ring, wherein a portion of the first ring overlaps the second ring, a first actuator configured to actuate a first pillar to selectively move the first ring to a raised position and a lowered position relative to the pedestal, and a second actuator configured to actuate a second pillar to selectively move the second ring to a raised position and a lowered position relative to the pedestal.

Edge ring arrangement with moveable edge rings

In one embodiment, a plasma processing device may include a dielectric window, a vacuum chamber, an energy source, and at least one air amplifier. The dielectric window may include a plasma exposed surface and an air exposed surface. The vacuum chamber and the plasma exposed surface of the dielectric window can cooperate to enclose a plasma processing gas. The energy source can transmit electromagnetic energy through the dielectric window and form an elevated temperature region in the dielectric window. The at least one air amplifier can be in fluid communication with the dielectric window. The at least one air amplifier can operate at a back pressure of at least about 1 in-HO and can provide at least about 30 cfm of air.

Systems for cooling RF heated chamber components

A chamber is provided. The chamber includes a Faraday shield positioned above a substrate support of the chamber. A dielectric window is disposed over the Faraday shield, and the dielectric window has a center opening. A hub having an internal plenum for passing a flow of fluid received from an input conduit and removing the flow of fluid from an output conduit is further provided. The hub has sidewalls and a center cavity inside of the sidewalls for an optical probe, and the internal plenum is disposed in the sidewalls. The hub has an interface surface that is in physical contact with a back side of the Faraday shield. The physical contact provides for a thermal couple to the Faraday shield at a center region around said center opening, and an outer surface of the sidewalls of the hub are disposed within the center opening of the dielectric window.

Air cooled faraday shield and methods for using the same

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber. A pedestal is arranged in the processing chamber. An edge coupling ring is arranged adjacent to the pedestal and around a radially outer edge of the substrate. An actuator is configured to selectively move a first portion of the edge coupling ring relative to the substrate to alter an edge coupling profile of the edge coupling ring.

Moveable edge coupling ring for edge process control during semiconductor wafer processing

A substrate support in a substrate processing system includes an inner portion arranged to support a substrate, an edge ring surrounding the inner portion, and a controller. The controller at least one of raises the edge ring to selectively cause the edge ring to engage the substrate and lowers the inner portion to selectively cause the edge ring to engage the substrate. The controller determines when the edge ring engages the substrate and calculates at least one characteristic of the substrate processing system based on the determination of when the edge ring engages the substrate.

Systems and methods for performing edge ring characterization

A system includes an image processing module configured to receive an image, captured by an imaging device, of a plasma environment within a substrate processing chamber during processing of a substrate and extract one or more features of the image indicative of a plasma sheath formed within the plasma environment during the processing of the substrate. A control module is configured to determine a plasma sheath profile based on the one or more features extracted from the image and selectively adjust at least one processing parameter related to the processing of the substrate based on the plasma sheath profile.

Image based plasma sheath profile detection on plasma processing tools

A cluster tool assembly includes a vacuum transfer module, a process module having a first side connected to the vacuum transfer module. An isolation valve having a first side and a second side, the first side of the isolation valve coupled to a second side of the process module. A replacement station is coupled to the second side of the isolation valve. The replacement station includes an exchange handler and a part buffer. The part buffer includes a plurality of compartments to hold new or used consumable parts. The process module includes a lift mechanism to enable placement of a consumable part installed in the process module to a raised position. The raised position provides access to the exchange handler to enable removal of the consumable part from the process module and store in a compartment of the part buffer. The exchange handler of the replacement station is configured to provide a replacement for the consumable part from the part buffer back to the process module. The lift mechanism is configured to receive the consumable part provided for replacement by the exchange handler and lower the consumable part to an installed position. The replacement by the exchange handler and the process module is conducted while the process module and the replacement station are maintained in a vacuum state.

Automated replacement of consumable parts using interfacing chambers

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber and a pedestal arranged in the processing chamber. An edge coupling ring is arranged adjacent to a radially outer edge of the pedestal. A first actuator is configured to selectively move the edge coupling ring to a raised position, relative to the pedestal to provide clearance between the edge coupling ring and the pedestal to allow a robot arm to remove the edge coupling ring from the processing chamber.

Systems and methods for tuning to reduce reflected power in multiple states are described. The methods include determining values of one or more parameters of an impedance matching circuit so that reflected power is reduced for multiple states. Such a reduction in the reflected power increases a life of a radio frequency generator coupled to the impedance matching circuit while simultaneously processing a substrate using the multiple states.

Systems and methods for tuning to reduce reflected power in multiple states

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Jon McChesney