Applied Materials, Inc.

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Other

The United States As Represented by the Administrator of the National

Liang-Guo Wang

Shamouil Shamouilian

Kwok Manus Wong

Dennis Stanley Grimard

Alexander M Veytser

Kartik Ramaswamy

Arnold Kholodenko

Gary Janik

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Hamid Noorbakhsh

Kadthala Ramaya Narendrnath

Brian C Lue

Jon McChesney

Paul E Luscher

You Wang

Syed Hasan Askari

Hidong Kwak

Surinder S Bedi

Philip M Salzman

James McWhirter

Jon T Clinton

Patrick M Maxton

Haixing Zou

Dan G Georgesco

Mauro Rana

Christopher M Pohlhammer

Glenn W Sachse

Bernard Lautee

Jennming James Chen

Tommy C Steele

Peter J LeBel

A method for measuring a characteristic of a substrate, including directing an incident beam at an inspection grid of points on the substrate, receiving the reflected beam with a position sensitive detector, measuring the displacement of the reflected beam from its expected location, compiling a database of the displacement measurements, examining the database for effects of a pattern induced anomaly in the displacement measurements, producing an adjusted database, and deriving the characteristic of the substrate from the adjusted database. Thus, pattern induced errors from the displacement measurements are corrected. In this manner, problems with interpreting the reflection angles of a beam in substrate stress analysis equipment are overcome where distortions in the reflection angles are caused by deposition patterns on the substrates.

Patterned substrate surface mapping

Methods and systems for preparing a sample for thin film analysis are provided. One system includes an energy beam source configured to generate an energy beam. The system also includes an energy beam delivery subsystem configured to direct the energy beam to a sample and to modify the energy beam such that the energy beam has a substantially flat-top profile on the sample. The energy beam removes a portion of a contaminant layer on the sample to expose an analysis area of a thin film on the sample. One method includes generating an energy beam and modifying the energy beam such that the energy beam has a substantially flat-top profile. The method also includes directing the energy beam to a sample. The energy beam removes a portion of a contaminant layer on the sample to expose an analysis area of a thin film on the sample.

Methods and systems for preparing a sample for thin film analysis

A plasma processing apparatus and a method of operating a plasma processing apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, a first RF signal at a carrier frequency and a second RF signal at a second frequency are generated. An amplitude modulated signal is formed by modulating the first RF signal with the second RF signal. A plasma is generated within the plasma processing chamber using the amplitude modulated signal. Generating plasma using a frequency modulated signal is also disclosed.

RF power delivery for plasma processing using modulated power signal

In at least one embodiment, the invention is a temperature sensor having a temperature sensitive material positioned within a shell. The shell has a first section and a second section, which are attached together by a non-adhesive bond. The non-adhesive bond being an atomic bond, such as a diffusion bond. The temperature sensitive material is capable of emitting a radiation signal which varies in its magnitude and character as the material's temperature changes. The shell allows transmission of the radiation signal through the shell to an external processor. Analysis of the emitted radiation signal by the processor can provide a temperature measurement. The temperature sensitive material is a phosphorescent, such as a phosphor. The shell may be made of a material which can be diffusion bonded, such materials include a silicon comprising material, a glass, a plastic, a sapphire and a quartz. The diffusion bond seals the shell, thus preventing the temperature sensitive material from being exposed to the surrounding environment. The sensor can include a stem attached to the shell. The stem is capable of transmitting and receiving radiation signals to and from the sensor by either positioning an optical fiber adjacent the sensor or by containing one or more waveguides.

Temperature sensor with shell

A conduit has a heating system disposed therein. The heating system generates heat in response to magnetic flux generated by an inductive coil. The heating system has a heat transfer element and a plurality of ferromagnetic elements. The heat transfer element may be displaced within the conduit to control the amount of heat generated.

Method and apparatus for improving exhaust gas consumption in an exhaust conduit

A process chamber capable of processing a substrate in a plasma of process gas. The chamber comprises a support having a dielectric covering an electrode and a conductor below the electrode . A voltage supply supplies a gas energizing voltage to the conductor , and the conductor is adapted to capacitively couple the voltage to the electrode to energize the process gas. Alternatively, the voltage may be supplied to the electrode through a connector which can capacitively couple with the conductor . A DC power supply may also provide an electrostatic chucking voltage to the electrode . In one version, the conductor comprises an interposer

Plasma chamber support with coupled electrode

Apparatus for measuring wafer support assembly temperature in a semiconductor wafer processing system. The apparatus is a modular plug that is mounted to the support assembly. The plug contains a photoluminescent material that exhibits a decay in luminescence after an excitement which is indicative of the temperature of the support assembly.

Apparatus for measuring pedestal and substrate temperature in a semiconductor wafer processing system

A process chamber capable of processing a substrate in a plasma comprises a dielectric covering a first electrode and a second electrode , a conductor supporting the dielectric , and a voltage supply to supply an RF voltage to the first electrode or the second electrode in the dielectric . The first electrode capacitively couples with a process electrode to energize process gas in the process chamber and RF voltage applied to the second electrode is capacitively coupled to the conductor and through a collar or the second electrode is directly capacitively coupled through the collar

Plasma chamber support having dual electrodes

An electrostatic chuck 20 for holding a substrate 25 in a process chamber 30 comprises an electrostatic member 115 comprising a polymer 120 covering an electrode 125, the polymer 120 having a receiving surface 135 for receiving the substrate 25. A heater 130 abutting the polymer 120 is provided to heat the substrate 25 during processing of the substrate 25. The heater 130 has a resistance that is sufficiently low to heat the substrate 25 without causing excessive thermal degradation of the polymer 120.

Polymer chuck with heater and method of manufacture

A multi-gas sensor is provided which modulates a polarized light beam over a broadband of wavelengths between two alternating orthogonal polarization components. The two orthogonal polarization components of the polarization modulated beam are directed along two distinct optical paths. At least one optical path contains one or more spectral discrimination element, with each spectral discrimination element having spectral absorption features of one or more gases of interest being measured. The two optical paths then intersect, and one orthogonal component of the intersected components is transmitted and the other orthogonal component is reflected. The combined polarization modulated beam is partitioned into one or more smaller spectral regions of interest where one or more gases of interest has an absorption band. The difference in intensity between the two orthogonal polarization components is then determined in each partitioned spectral region of interest as an indication of the spectral emission/absorption of the light beam by the gases of interest in the measurement path. The spectral emission/absorption is indicative of the concentration of the one or more gases of interest in the measurement path. More specifically, one embodiment of the present invention is a gas filter correlation radiometer which comprises a polarizer, a polarization modulator, a polarization beam splitter, a beam combiner, wavelength partitioning element, and detection element. The gases of interest are measured simultaneously and, further, can be measured independently or non-independently. Furthermore, optical or electronic element are provided to balance optical intensities between the two optical paths.

Multi-gas sensor

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Liang-Guo Wang