Applied Materials, Inc.

Lawrence C Lei

Mei Yin Chang

Karl Anthony Littau

Salvador P Umotoy

Ashok K Sinha

Alan F Morrison

Joseph Yudovsky

Cissy S Leung

Ilya Perlov

Walter Benjamin Glenn

Joel M Huston

Gwo-Chuan Tzu

Keith K Koai

Mark S Johnson

Xin Sheng Guo

Yu Wen Chang

Siqing Lu

Paul F Smith

Son Trinh

Quyen Pham

Cecilia Martner

Yu Ping Gu

Tom Madar

Kenneth S Collins

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Ling Chen

Avi Tepman

Sasson Roger Somekh

Ming Xi

Jeffrey S Marks

David Walter Groechel

Alfred W Mak

Girish Anant Dixit

Jay D Pinson, Ii

David N Wang

Craig A Roderick

Masato M Toshima

Chan-Lon Yang

John R Trow

Anh Ngoc Nguyen

Peter R Keswick

Jerry Yuen Wong

Russell C Ellwanger

Steve H Chiao

Ying Yu

Gabriel Lorimer Miller

Richard A Marsh

Shin-Hung Li

Hua Chung

Barry Lee Chin

Eric Andrew Englhardt

Gerald Z Yin

Jeong Soo Byun

Fufa Chen

Ken Kaung Lai

David T Or

Moris Kori

Mohan K Bhan

Ronald Lloyd Rose

Xiaoxiong (John) Yuan

Gean Hsu

Dale DuBois

Anzhong (Andrew) Chang

Justin Jones

G Lorimer Miller

Son Trihn

A method and apparatus for atomic layer deposition (ALD) is described. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber body having a contiguous internal volume comprised of a first deposition region spaced-apart from a second deposition region, the chamber body having a feature operable to minimize intermixing of gases between the first and the second deposition regions, a first gas port formed in the chamber body and positioned to pulse gas preferentially to the first deposition region to enable a first deposition process to be performed in the first deposition region, and a second gas port formed in the chamber body and positioned to pulse gas preferentially to the second deposition region to enable a second deposition process to be performed in the second deposition region is provided.

Atomic layer deposition apparatus

The invention provides a removable first edge ring configured for pin and recess/slot coupling with a second edge ring disposed on the substrate support. In one embodiment, a first edge ring includes a plurality of pins, and a second edge ring includes one or more alignment recesses and one or more alignment slots for mating engagement with the pins. Each of the alignment recesses and alignment slots are at least as wide as the corresponding pins, and each of the alignment slots extends in the radial direction a length that is sufficient to compensate for the difference in thermal expansion between the first edge ring and the second edge ring.

Self aligning non contact shadow ring process kit

A multi-station deposition apparatus capable of simultaneous processing multiple substrates using a plurality of stations, where a gas curtain separates the stations. The apparatus further comprises a multi-station platen that supports a plurality of wafers and rotates the wafers into specific deposition positions at which deposition gases are supplied to the wafers. The deposition gases may be supplied to the wafer through single zone or multi-zone gas dispensing nozzles.

Multi-station deposition apparatus and method

A method and apparatus are provided for measuring the thickness of a test object. The apparatus includes an eddy current sensor having first and second sensor heads. The sensor heads are positioned to have a predetermined gap therebetween for passage by at least a portion of the test object through the gap. The sensor heads make measurements at given sampling locations on the test object as the test object is moved through the gap. The apparatus also includes a position sensing mechanism to determine positions of the sampling locations on the test object. The apparatus also includes an evaluation circuit in communication with the eddy current sensor and to the position sensing mechanism for determining the thickness of the test object at the sampling locations.

Method and apparatus for measuring a thickness of a layer of a wafer

Apparatus and method of dynamically measuring thickness of a layer of a substrate

Method and apparatus for dynamically measuring the thickness of an object

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a clamshell and small volume chamber with a fixed substrate support. One embodiment of a processing chamber includes a fixed substrate support having a substrate receiving surface, a pumping ring disposed around a perimeter of the substrate receiving surface, and a gas distribution assembly disposed over the fixed substrate support. The pumping ring forms at least a portion of a pumping channel and has one or more apertures formed therethrough. The chamber may further include a gas-flow diffuser disposed radially inward of the apertures of the pumping ring. Another embodiment of a processing chamber includes a first assembly comprising a fixed substrate support and a second assembly comprising a gas distribution assembly. The first assembly includes a first assembly body that is shaped and sized so that at least a portion of the first assembly body is below the substrate receiving surface of the substrate support. A hinge assembly couples the first assembly and the second assembly. The first assembly and the second assembly can be selectively positioned between an open position and a closed position.

Clamshell and small volume chamber with fixed substrate support

A substrate processing system having a transfer chamber having two processing chambers and two load lock chambers coupled thereto is generally provided. The transfer chamber includes a body having a first transfer area and a second transfer area defined therein on either side of a center axis. A first passage couples one of the load locks with the first transfer area and a second passage couples the other one of the load locks with the second transfer area. The first passage and the second passage form an acute angle about the center axis. A transfer platform is disposed between the first transfer area and the second transfer area. A first transfer robot and a second transfer robot are disposed in the first and second transfer areas, respectively. Each robot is adapted to transfer substrates between the load locks, the transfer platform and a processing chamber.

Dual robot processing system

An apparatus and method for effectively and controllably vaporizing a solid precursor material is provided. In particular, the present invention provides an apparatus that includes a housing defining a sealed interior volume having an inlet for receiving a carrier gas, at least one surface within the housing for the application of a solid precursor, and a heating member for heating the solid precursor. The heating member can be located in the housing or in the surface within the housing. The surface can be a rod, baffle, mesh, or grating, and is preferably s-shaped or cone-shaped. Optionally, an outlet connects the housing to a reaction chamber. A method for vaporizing a solid precursor using the apparatus of the present invention is also provided.

Apparatus and method for vaporizing solid precursor for CVD or atomic layer deposition

Provided herewith is a chamber for depositing a film on a substrate comprising a process compartment; a purge compartment, a purge ring located on the chamber body to separate the two compartments, a heater, and a shadow ring covering the periphery of the substrate. Alternatively, the chamber may further comprise a shield interconnected with the shadow ring. Still provided is a method for depositing a film of uniformity on a substrate in such a chamber. The method comprises the steps of positioning the substrate in a process compartment; flowing a process gas into the process compartment; flowing a purge gas in a purge compartment; and exhausting the process and purge gas from the chamber, thereby depositing a film of uniformity on the substrate.

Tungsten chamber with stationary heater

A method for aligning a wafer on a support member within a vacuum chamber includes increasing the pressure within the vacuum chamber to at least about 1 Torr before aligning the wafer. The wafer is introduced into the vacuum chamber on the support member, the pressure is increased to at least about one Torr, and the support member is lifted into a shadow ring that has a frustoconical inner cavity constructed to funnel the wafer to a centered, aligned position.

Apparatus for aligning a wafer

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Lawrence C Lei