Semitool, Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Kyle Moran Hanson

Daniel J Woodruff

Gregory J Wilson

Paul R McHugh

John Lee Klocke

Eric J Bergman

Thomas H Oberlitner

Robert W Batz, Jr

John M Pedersen

Vladimir Zila

Viachslav Babayan

Rajesh Baskaran

Thomas Lee Ritzdorf

Nolan Layne Zimmerman

LinLin Chen

Jason A Rye

Randy Harris

Lyndon W Graham

Steven L Peace

Robert B Moore

Bioh Kim

Paul Van Valkenburg

Mark Dix

Ludovic Godet

Tom L Ritzdorf

Deepak Saagar Kalaikadal

Paul Zachary Wirth

Martin C Bleck

Erik Lund

Daniel P Bexten

Charles Sharbono

Kevin W Coyle

Mikael R Borjesson

Vincent Steffan Francischetti

Adam Marc McClure

Michael Windham

Brian J Brown

Raymon F Thompson

Robert W Berner

Robert Allen Weaver

Ekaterina A Mikhaylichenko

Steve L Eudy

Jeffrey I Turner

Sam Lee

James W Doolittle

Scott A Bruner

K Chris Haugan

James T Kuechmann

Jerry Simchuk

Curtis A Weber

Vlad Zila

Nigel Stewart

Jonathan Stuart Frankel

Manoj A Gajendra

Jon Christian Farr

Kwan Wook Roh

Karthikeyan Balaraman

Wayne J Schmidt

Eric Lund

Robert Douglas Mikkola

Stuart Crane

Tricia A Youngbull

Timothy G Stolt

Zhongmin Hu

Mahadev Joshi

Reed A Blackburn

Coby S Grove

Timothy A Anderson

Tim McGlenn

Jon Kuntz

Joseph Antony Jonathan

Manjunatha Vishwanatha Adagoor

Karthick Vasu

Shailesh Chouriya

James E Brown

Klaus H Pfeifer

Matthew Herset

Matt Johnson

Ken Gibbons

Scott Grace

Jurek K Koziol

Michal A Zmaj

Arvind Thiyagarajan

Jonathan Kuntz

An electroplating system has a vessel assembly holding an electrolyte. A weir thief electrode assembly in the vessel assembly includes a plenum inside of a weir frame. The plenum divided into at least a first, a second and a third virtual thief electrode segment. A plurality of spaced apart openings through the weir frame lead out of the plenum. A weir ring is attached to the weir frame and guides flow of current during electroplating. The electroplating system provides process determined radial and circumferential current density control and does not require changing hardware components during set up.

Electroplating system

Exemplary electroplating apparatuses may include a system head operable to clamp a substrate. The system head may be operable to raise and lower the substrate between a plating bath, a first position above the plating bath, and a second position above the first position. The electroplating apparatuses may include a plating bath vessel adapted to hold the plating bath for electroplating on the substrate. The electroplating apparatuses may include a weir extending about the plating bath vessel. The electroplating apparatuses may include a first nozzle extending through the weir at a first radial position, and positioned to deliver fluid to the substrate at the first position above the plating bath. The electroplating apparatuses may include a second nozzle extending through the weir at a second radial position, and positioned to deliver fluid to the substrate at the second position above the plating bath.

Fluid recovery in semiconductor processing

Electroplating systems may include an electroplating chamber. The systems may also include a replenish assembly fluidly coupled with the electroplating chamber. The replenish assembly may include a first compartment housing anode material. The first compartment may include a first compartment section in which the anode material is housed and a second compartment section separated from the first compartment section by a divider. The replenish assembly may include a second compartment fluidly coupled with the electroplating chamber and electrically coupled with the first compartment. The replenish assembly may also include a third compartment electrically coupled with the second compartment, the third compartment including an inert cathode.

Multi-compartment electrochemical replenishment cell

Electroplating methods and systems are described that include adding a metal-ion-containing starting solution to a catholyte to increase a metal ion concentration in the catholyte to a first metal ion concentration. The methods and systems further include measuring the metal ion concentration in the catholyte while the metal ions electroplate onto a substrate and the catholyte reaches a second metal ion concentration that is less than the first metal ion concentration. The methods and systems additionally include adding a portion of an anolyte directly to the catholyte when the catholyte reaches the second metal ion concentration. The addition of the portion of the anolyte increases the metal ion concentration in the catholyte to a third metal ion concentration that is greater than or about the first metal ion concentration.

Electroplating systems and methods with increased metal ion concentrations

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for performing immersion field guided post exposure bake processes. Embodiments of apparatus described herein include a chamber body defining a processing volume. Electrodes may be disposed adjacent the process volume and process fluid is provided to the process volume via a plurality of fluid conduits to facilitate immersion field guided post exposure bake processes. A post process chamber for rinsing, developing, and drying a substrate is also provided.

Apparatus for post exposure bake

Methods and apparatus for removing substrate contamination are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-chamber processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a factory interface (FI) coupled to the processing chamber via a load lock chamber disposed therebetween; and a cleaning chamber coupled to the FI and configured to rinse and to dry the substrate, wherein the cleaning chamber includes a chamber body defining an interior volume and having a first opening at an interface with the FI for transferring the substrate into and out of the interior volume.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning a substrate after processing

Cleaning substrates or electroplating system components may include methods of rinsing a substrate at a semiconductor plating chamber. The methods may include moving a head from a plating bath to a first position. The head may include a substrate coupled with the head. The methods may include rotating the head for a first period of time to sling bath fluid back into the plating bath. A residual amount of bath fluid may remain. The methods may include delivering a first fluid to the substrate from a first fluid nozzle to at least partially expel the residual amount of bath fluid back into the plating bath. The methods may include moving the head to a second position. The methods may include rotating the head for a second period of time. The methods may also include delivering a second fluid across the substrate from a second fluid nozzle.

Electroplating system seals may include an annular busbar characterized by an inner annular radius and an outer annular radius. The annular busbar may include a plurality of contact extensions. The seals may include an external seal member characterized by an inner annular radius and an outer annular radius. The external seal member may be vertically aligned with and extend inward of the contact extensions at the inner annular radius of the external seal member. The external seal member may include an interior surface at least partially facing the contact extensions. The seals may also include an internal seal member extending a first distance along the interior surface of the external seal member from the inner annular radius. The internal seal member may include a deformable material configured to support a substrate between the internal seal member and the plurality of contact extensions.

Seal apparatus for an electroplating system

Implementations described herein relate to a platform apparatus for post exposure processing. In one implementation, a platform apparatus includes a plumbing module and a process module. The process module further includes a central region having a robot disposed therein, and a plurality of process stations disposed about the central region and sharing the plumbing module. Each process station includes a process chamber and a post process chamber in a stacked arrangement. The process chamber includes a chamber body defining a process volume, a door coupled to the chamber body, a first electrode coupled to the door, and a power source communicatively coupled to the first electrode.

Post exposure processing apparatus

Systems for cleaning electroplating system components may include a seal cleaning assembly incorporated with an electroplating system. The seal cleaning assembly may include an arm pivotable between a first position and a second position. The arm may be rotatable about a central axis of the arm. The seal cleaning assembly may include a cleaning head coupled with a distal portion of the arm. The cleaning head may include a bracket having a faceplate coupled with the arm, and a housing extending from the faceplate. The housing may define one or more arcuate channels extending through the housing to a front surface of the bracket. The cleaning head may also include a rotatable cartridge extending from the housing of the bracket. The cartridge may include a mount cylinder defining one or more apertures configured to deliver a cleaning solution to a pad coupled about the mount cylinder.

Cleaning components and methods in a plating system

Systems for cleaning electroplating system components may include a seal cleaning assembly incorporated with an electroplating system. The seal cleaning assembly may include an arm pivotable between a first position and a second position. The arm may be rotatable about a central axis of the arm. The seal cleaning assembly may also include a cleaning head including a bracket portion coupled with a distal portion of the arm. The cleaning head may be characterized by a front portion formed to interface with a seal of the electroplating apparatus. The cleaning head may define a trench along the front portion, and the cleaning head may define a plurality of fluid channels through the cleaning head, each fluid channel of the plurality of fluid channels fluidly accessing a backside of the trench.

Implementations described herein relate to apparatus for post exposure processing. More specifically, implementations described herein relate to field-guided post exposure process chambers and cool down/development chambers used on process platforms. In one implementation, a plurality of post exposure process chamber and cool/down development chamber pairs are positioned on a process platform in a stacked arrangement and utilize a shared plumbing module. In another implementation, a plurality of post exposure process chamber and cool down/development chambers are positioned on a process platform in a linear arrangement and each of the chambers utilize an individually dedicated plumbing module.

Methods of etching a semiconductor substrate may include applying an etchant to the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate may include an exposed region of an oxygen-containing material and an exposed region of a nitrogen-containing material. The methods may include heating the semiconductor substrate from a first temperature to a second temperature. The methods may include maintaining the semiconductor substrate at the second temperature for a period of time sufficient to perform an etch of the nitrogen-containing material relative to the oxygen-containing material. The methods may also include quenching the etch subsequent the period of time.

Controlled etch of nitride features

Growing community of inventors

Kalispell, MT, United States of America

Kyle Moran Hanson