Applied Materials, Inc.

Mark Lloyd

Ashok K Sinha

Michael N Sugarman

Yezdi N Dordi

Robin W Cheung

Avi Tepman

Ratson Morad

Dan A Marohl

Donald J Olgado

Joseph Stevens

Ho Seon Shin

Mark Robert Denome

Peter W Hey

Dan Carl

George Birkmaier

Eugene Ravinovich

Howard H Tang

Sergio Edelstein

James S Van Gogh

Fernand Dorleans

Sandy S Chao

Christopher Hagerty

Siyaun Yang

R Steve West

The present invention provides an electro-chemical deposition system that is designed with a flexible architecture that is expandable to accommodate future designs and gap fill requirements and provides satisfactory throughput to meet the demands of other processing systems. The electro-chemical deposition system generally comprises a mainframe having a mainframe wafer transfer robot, a loading station disposed in connection with the mainframe, one or more processing cells disposed in connection with the mainframe, and an electrolyte supply fluidly connected to the one or more electrical processing cells. Preferably, the electro-chemical deposition system includes a spin-rinse-dry (SRD) station disposed between the loading station and the mainframe, a rapid thermal anneal chamber attached to the loading station, and a system controller for controlling the electro-chemical deposition process and the components of the electro-chemical deposition system.

Electro-chemical deposition system

The present invention generally provides a fluid delivery system with particular application to electroplating. Two or more reservoirs are fluidly connected to one or more processing chambers by fluid delivery lines. A gas source is coupled to the reservoirs to selectively pressurize the reservoirs and cause fluid flow therefrom to the processing chambers through the fluid delivery lines. The fluid levels in the reservoirs and the processing chambers are controlled to facilitate avity-assisted flow of fluid from the processing chambers to the reservoirs via the fluid delivery line when the fluid levels in the processing chambers are higher than the fluid levels in the reservoirs. In operation, the reservoirs are alternately filled and emptied with a fluid circulated between the reservoirs and the processing chambers. Alternately filling and emptying the reservoirs relative to one another at constant rates maintains the fluid level and flow rate in the processing chamber substantially constant.

Double pressure vessel chemical dispenser unit

The present invention removes unwanted deposited material from a substrate backside by chemically dissolving the material, while substantially preventing dissolution of the material from the substrate front side. Preferably, the dissolving process is included with a spin-rinse-dry process and uses a greater flow rate of rinsing fluid directed onto the front side compared to the flow rate of dissolving fluid directed onto a substrate backside to protect the substrate front side while the unwanted backside material is removed. The present invention includes the method of dissolving the unwanted material from the backside and edge and the associated apparatus.

Spin-rinse-drying process for electroplated semiconductor wafers

The disadvantages heretofore associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of an improved target for a physical deposition (PVD) system. The improved target has a portion of the target side wall the overhangs and shadows the side wall of the target thus preventing material from depositing on the edge. To further reduce contaminant generation, the improved target is combined with an improved dark space shield having a first end and a second end, where the second end conventionally supports a collimator and the first end has an inner surface that is substantially vertical.

Target and dark space shield for a physical vapor deposition system

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Mark Lloyd